Black Sun Supernova
by Whimsical Darcy
Summary: At 6 years, 10 months & 15 days old (and counting), Renesmee Cullen is rapidly approaching the finality of her adulthood, but this year, she won't be celebrating her Birthday in Forks. Uprooted from the one and only true home she's ever known, she must come to terms with the past, live in the present, cement an unknown future, and ultimately discover the true meaning of 'home'.
1. Chapter 1: To the Forks that I know

**BLACK SUN SUPERNOVA  
** _A post-Breaking Dawn, Twilight fanfiction, written by 'Whimsical Darcy'._

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and shapeshifters and romance. I also do not own the sng lyrics in this chapter: "We'll Meet Again" (composed and written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles) and "Halfway to Heaven" (by The Morning Benders / POP ETC).  
_

 _A.N. Hello readers, and welcome to the first chapter of 'Black Sun Supernova'. Please note that this fanfic incorporates elements from both the books and the films, and will be written solely from Renesmee's POV. Also, as the rating suggests, the story will (eventually) contain mature themes. Depending on how things turn out by the end of the story, I may or may not return to it from Jacob's POV. But that's skipping waaaay ahead... For now, though I have a vague idea of where I want this version of the story to go, I'm a very organic writer, so even I don't how how the final chapter will read yet. I do however, very much intend to upload a finished fanfic that I can be proud of.  
_

 _I've never published any Twilight fanfiction before, but I've written loads of unfinished musings ever since I fell in love with the books and the movies over ten years ago. I recently re-watched the entire film series (thank you Netflix!) and realised that to this day, the two characters I still want to re-visit are Jacob and Nessie. Breaking Dawn ends with their story just beginning really, and I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Meyer to write the official version of how their lives develop together. For now though, hopefully my imagination will fill an empty gap. Most importantly, hopefully you'll enjoy reading this journey as much as I enjoy writing it._ _I'm a sucker for rarely sharing my writing, so all I can ask from you in return, is to please be constructive if you're going to flame._

 _So without further ado..._

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 **Chapter 1: "To the Forks that I know"**

 _So will you please say "Hello", to the folks that I know;  
Tell them I won't be long._

Dame Vera Lynn's vintage voice crackled from an antique Gramophone of rich mahogany and bronze, which had been gifted to me on my 4th Birthday. By human standards, that means I'd been 10 years old, even though I was already re-working my way through Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Grandpa Carlisle said that the record player had been salvaged from the nineteen-thirties, but I think he'd paid a decent sum of money to have it restored to its current, perfectly functioning state. Upon unwrapping the birthday present, I remember transcending from being absolutely amazed and elated, to feeling incredibly sad. Can you image how many lives this one, single object had lived through? I had suddenly wished that I had the power to re-live memories by touching objects, and ultimately, it made me sad to think that those memories were now lost to the passage of time. Dad had held me then, and told me that there are memories in music too, if you listen hard enough. I guess you could say that my fascination with sounds from a bygone era officially sparked from that day forth.

I'd listened to this particular song a dozen times before, but today, it provided a melancholy soundtrack to my bitter-sour mood. I may not be _quite_ so antique as the gramophone, but I'm certainly an 'original' teenager. Much like the somewhat out of place object that garnished the corner of my square bedroom, I had spent the whole seven years of my life – well, that is to say, _almost_ seven years; never quite feeling as though I fit in with the rest of the world's décor. My family liked to tell me that the feeling was mutual, because they didn't fit in either. The thing is, as much as I tried to be 'one of them', I was always perpetually caught between two worlds: Vampire, and Human.

 _They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go;  
I was singing this song._

With a heavy sigh, I broke my stony silence to meticulously study the various google maps displayed in separate window tabs on my laptop screen. My gaze following the Calawah River as it cut through the small township known as 'Forks' on its path towards the endless forest. The Olympic forest had been my birthplace and, despite my many global 'study vacations' as dad and grandpa liked to call them; it had been the one and only true home I'd ever known.

 _We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when;  
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day._

This was the part of the song where Dame Vera Lynn was wrong. It would be a long, _long_ time until the Cullens would be welcome in Forks again, or Washington at all, for that matter. According to Grandpa Carlisle, the undeniable patriarch of the family, it would be a good hundred or so years before we could ever return to our preferred home. His hospital co-workers had been questioning his flawlessly un-ageing complexion since before my mom had been turned, so the 'healthy lifestyle' excuses was like saying pigs could fly. Carlisle had looked amazingly good when he was 'almost touching forty', so you can imagine what they thought now that he'd finally celebrated the big 4-0. There was no way he was just using anti-ageing creams. Hello big-city plastic surgery, bye-bye small-town integrity. To the youngest member of the household, aka me, it was just further proof that being physically frozen in time for all eternity isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Eventually, you have to make yourself disappear, and become nothing more than a memory.

 _Keep smiling through, just like you always do;  
'Til the blue skies, drive the dark clouds far away._

My mother's gift of chocolate brown eyes shifted to the next map on the screen, and I felt my nose involuntarily scrunch like I just caught a bad odor, as I recalled everything Carlisle had said about 'Randolph County, West Virginia'. He'd called a family meeting about a week ago, and carefully broken the 'good news' to me using very carefully selected words. I realised then that I was the only family member who didn't already know what Carlisle was gearing up to say. Even Jake hadn't managed to convince me that this was the first time he was hearing about the scenic rivers and waterfalls; the caverns to explore and plenty of forests full of wild game for hunting, not to mention tall mountains to scale.

Just like I'd done a week ago, when I first found out where we'd be relocating to; I matched Carlisle's words to the places on the map he'd referred to, like the Tygart Valley River, the Monongahela National Forest and the Allegheny Mountain. I'd get to see for myself just how amazing the views where in exactly six days from today, when we moved right on the edge of a small town called 'Mill Creek'. Population: 716, and counting. It sounded to me like the prime location of a 1970's horror film, so a guess a family of supernatural beings would be right at home. Our residence there was so far deemed to be 'indefinite', and Carlisle said the last time he'd visited was roughly 2-300 years ago. It would be 'just like Forks, but a lot smaller and with a little less rain', he'd said. In other words, it wouldn't be like Forks at all.

"Great." I'd said, in what had probably been the driest tone of all time. Carlisle had stressed how we all knew we'd have to leave Forks eventually, but that didn't mean I was happy or ready for that time to be _now_. "It all sounds… great. So I guess I should start packing then."

I think they all knew that I was struggling with the whole concept of leaving Forks for good, and in their own way, everyone had tried to be supportive over the chaotic days that followed as we organised the move. Alice took the time to tell me about Elkins, which was the main city of the county, and dad had chipped in to tell me we'd be just in time for the 'Heritage music festival' filled with sounds from Old Time, Blue Grass and Cajun to name but a few. Rosalie and Esme said they'd help me redecorate my room, and were planning to set up their own interior design business. Meanwhile, Jasper and Emmett were pretty 'stoked' about all the bears waiting to be wrestled with for dinner. Finally, mom had been biting her lip over the prospect of eventually studying at the liberal arts college in Elkins. All in all, there was something there for everyone. I was just yet to get excited over whatever was waiting there for me.

"Well, well… if it isn't _Grandma_ Nessie."

The familiar, slightly gruff voice of my best friend suddenly cut through the bellowing 1930's chorus, and instantly tore my gaze away from the glare of my laptop screen. My door was wide open, which pretty much meant that I was happy for anyone to disturb me, so he hadn't bothered to knock. My gaze settled on him, trying not to greedily linger on the blue and white baseball t-shirt that hugged his innately muscular torso like a second skin. At around 6'5", Jacob cuts a pretty imposing figure. Even when he's oh-so-casually leaning against my doorframe, like he's done countless times before. I thought that as I grew taller, he'd stop being so huge. I'm now 5'11" tall but still waiting for the other part to happen.

If Rosalie was here, she'd no doubt be commenting on smelling his dog stench from a mile off. To me though, he smells… _earthy_ ; like redwood and pine and solid oak and… _maple_. He just permanently carries the scent of nature with him, along with the occasional musk that I liked to call 'man-smell', otherwise known as damp socks and sweaty armpits. I didn't mind though, and man-smell or no, so long as my mind was elsewhere, he could still _occasionally_ sneak up on me like he just had.

Jacob doesn't just smell nice. He's like… the sunlight too. Seriously, I could already feel his comforting warmth reaching out to me. Then he flashed me his trademark, toothy grin, and I felt myself shudder. Not because I was cold – I'm never cold around Jacob. It's just, that expression of his, combined with his overall aura and being; it has the annoying power to disarm me at the worst of times; like when I _should_ be retorting with something clever and witty, rather than gazing up at him in my blank stupor.

"You gonna let Nessie come outside and play, or you gonna sit in your rocking chair all evening?"

There was supposed to be a late summer storm brewing, which was the perfect excuse for Vampire baseball. It was also potentially the last game of baseball we'd be playing in Forks. As I glanced out the window though, all I saw were overcast skies in varying shades of grey. In other words, it was the usual Forks skyline with a chance of a summer monsoon.

"Are you _sure_ there's a storm coming?" Smiling back at him, I folded my arms under my modest chest, which hadn't grown past a B cup. I often wished I could be a little more curvier but, at least I wasn't totally flat. "I think your wolf senses are acting up."

His smile broadened a notch. "Oh I can't wait for you to eat those words." Wrinkling his nose then at the bad odor of the music still droning on, he sighed as he pushed his upper body away from the doorway. I swear I heard the wooden frame creak slightly under the pressure of his weight. "But first -"

I watched him with a raised brow as he crossed the room and mercilessly lifted the pin off the spinning record. The song suddenly cut to silence, and Jacob breathed a forced sigh of relief. " _Much_ better. Geez, how can you listen to those old folk droning on like that?"

"The same way you listen to heavy guitar solos and screaming men?" I answered with the slightest of knowing smirks. Jacob was hardly a 'screamo' fan, and rarely even listened to heavy metal even, but I'd caught him once and wasn't going to let him forget for another… well, ever.

"Hey, that was one -"

" – One time." I finished the sentence for him and with him, then released a little chortle. "Well I hadn't listened to that song in ages either." Pulling my knees up, I hugged them to my chest as I rocked back slightly. "But every time I do it … makes me think of grandma and grandpa, sitting outside on the porch at sunset and just, y'know… chillaxing."

In my head though, the fantasy playing out didn't star Carlisle and Esme in the 1930s, or any other family member for that matter. Right now, I was imaging Jacob and I, sitting out on the porch in say, a hundred year's time; like we would if we were elderly only, we wouldn't be. Not physically. We'd be young and back in Forks to unfreeze time since being forced to live elsewhere, because to me, life didn't really exist without Forks.

" _Chillaxing_?" The roll of my dream co-star's warm laughter filled every corner of the room, and abruptly pulled me out of my fantasy. I know I'm a hopeless romantic, just like my mother, but it wasn't _that_ that bothered him. It was my choice of vocab. "H'oh boy. That – what was it called again? Tygarts Valley High? Yeah, they won't know what hit 'em."

I scrunched my nose at him, and he continued to softly chuckle to himself as he flopped down on the side of the bed. He already had the remote for the more up-to-date sound system in his hand, and wasted no time hitting the 'play' button.

"Okay, we'll work on your phrasing later, but unless you _want_ to be tossed in the nearest dumpster on your first day, you seriously need to re-edit your playlist."

A more cheerful song started to blast through the speakers, with a much stronger beat and prominent bassline than the former.

 _I'm halfway to heaven, and I don't know;  
If it's where I'm meant to go._

By 'first day,' Jake had been referring to my impending first day of high school, which everyone had finally agreed on after a whole year of bickering amongst themselves over whether or not I was ready to mingle with 'the worst kind' of human society; aka _Teenagers_. My counter argument was that I was already technically a teenager, even though I'd only been alive for six years, ten months and counting. In human years though, I figured that my current age translated to seventeen-going-on-eighteen. I should be working towards graduation already, not only just starting my academic life! Funnily enough though, ask me if I wanted to go to school six months ago and I would have _begged_ my dad to enrol me. Right now though, finally going to high school was probably the last thing I wanted to think about.

"C'mon, they don't _really_ throw people in dumpsters, do they?" I'd seen it happen in a bunch of teen-flicks; the whole 'jock meets alternative meets dumpster' scenario, but film versus real life doesn't always equate to the same result. _Right?_

 _Everybody's singing out of praise;  
Dropping down their names in gold._

"Pretty sure Quil got dumpster tossed, and Seth too, but you didn't hear that from me."

"What!? That's terrible! Why would anyone want to -" And the next thought that crossed my mind, made my jaw drop. "Jacob… did _you_ ever get dumpster tossed?"

"What, _me_?!" He practically scoffed. "No way!"

 _And I don't know where to go;  
This house has changed so much since I grew._

I inhaled a sharp breath, and narrowed my eyes at him. "Then, did you ever toss someone else in a dumpster?"

He scoffed again. "Do I _look_ like a dumpster tosser?"

Hah! Dumpster _tosser_ …

 _I don't know what to do;  
My heart is racing back and forth._

I had a put a hand to my mouth in a poor attempt to cover my snicker, courtesy of my time spent in London. Alice had taught me a lot of Cockney rhyming slang, and I'd picked up some newer British-isms too, many of which had made me giggle like a proper teenager leaning naughty words for the first time, and knowing exactly _why_ they were so gosh-darn naughty.

 _I don't know who to love;  
This house has changed so much since I grew._

"What's so funny?" Jacob, on the other hand, stared blankly at me. I realised then that the majority of time I spent with Alice usually involved shopping, and that was one form of torture Jake preferred to avoid like the plague.

"Oh – well, it's just that, in England, a tosser is erm… it's someone who erm – "

Oh geez, what had I just blindly walked into? I could already feel my cheeks start to burn; a trait I'd inherited from my mom. How was I going to tell him that a 'tosser' was… well, it was actually a pretty rude word and, come to think of it, it wasn't something I wanted to associate with Jacob at all. It definitely wasn't something I wanted to explain to him!

 _I don't know where to go;  
My heart is racing back and forth._

Wow, in my silence, I noticed the song that was playing, and how it was suddenly really relatable. If only the song could just do the talking for me now, that would be great.

 _Cut bassline interlude._

Okay, guess not then.

Clearing my throat, I desperately thought to change the subject before any nasty thought crept into my mind anyway, which would inevitably lead to me blushing even more and –

"…Someone who…'what', Ness?"

My mouth gaped a fraction more, and I suddenly wish I had the power to freeze time or better yet, rewind time. Jake was staring at me expectantly and I just wished my bed would swallow me up whole. I could just tell him to google it, which he probably would anyway, if he remembered to. Wait, no! I don't want him to goggle it either, then he'd think I was really… dirty.

"It's… someone who –" Think, Nessie, think! Someone who does _what_?

 _I'm halfway to heaven and I don't know;  
If it's where I'm meant to go._

Okay, so now this was song was the complete and total opposite of how I felt right now!

God, I'm so glad my dad isn't close enough to eavesdrop in on my thoughts at this very moment. Just the thought of that made my embarrass-o-meter climb to the next level. I felt like such an idi – _OH!_

"It's an idiot, basically. So you'd be a… dumpster… idiot."

 _The air is getting thinner and I'm the only one who's starting to choke._

Yeah, you can say that again, but phew! I think I was done choking, for now. Ok, so my translation wasn't quite as funny as what originally made me giggle, but it was true at least. Aunt Alice had called Edward a 'right tosser' once, when he'd made her _really_ mad. She'd been calling him an idiot though, not the _other_ thing. You've got to love words with dual meanings.

I couldn't relax yet though, because the quirk of Jake's brow was more or less his silent way of saying he didn't believe me a single iota, so I tensed up as I waited for what inevitably came next.

"Huh," and there it was; the huffed word that always followed the 'I don't believe you' look. "Well I guess you've gotta be an idiot to t- _throw_ , anyone, in a dumpster."

I think my strained laugh was caught halfway between nervous and humiliated. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." In other words Jake, can we _please-please- please_ just change the subject now!?

I think – and hoped – that he got the hint, because his eyes dropped to my laptop, and he gestured with this jut of his chin towards it. "You checking out the new neighbourhood?"

 _Oh thank every single deity for that!_

"Trying to," I sighed, then leaned forwards and dropped my knees back down to a Buddha cross. I stopped paying attention to the song lyrics as the repetitive tune faded into the background. It wasn't the first time that we'd chatted about the house move, and I no longer had the energy to keep up the false pretence of curt smiles and excitement, just so I could quickly change the subject altogether. I knew that none of it had washed with Jacob anyway. He'd been waiting for me to open up about it, in my own time. He never pushed or forced me to be honest with him, but he was always there whenever I was ready to talk. It was one of the things I lo- _liked_ so much about him.

"There's plenty of information about Randolph County in general, but as for Mill Creek, I'm coming up short."

Turning the screen a fraction to the right so he could see it better, I let him take control of the mouse so he could click around the google map I currently had open. He scrolled through a few pictures and had the same, nose-scrunching reaction I did. "I can't believe Carlisle managed to find a miniature Forks-wannabe," he finally muttered

"I know right! It's _grosse_."

Even _I_ didn't expect such a violent and let's face it – juvenile reaction to escape my lips, and in my peripherals, I could see Jake's brow furrowing into a more concerned frown as he looked to me. There were others words I could have used: outrageous, disgusting, obscene…

"I mean –" All I could do was sigh heavily and sag my shoulders. Guess the cat was out of the bag. "It's not home, and it doesn't _feel_ like it ever will be. It's just… a replica; a false imitation that will _never_ replace the real thing. Not in a million years."

"Ness…" He started, but then paused, maybe to reflect carefully on his words? He did that, sometimes, although most of the time he just said what he felt and dealt with the consequences afterwards. Jake is like a combination of fire and earth, whereas I guess I'm more like air and water?

Refusing to look at him both during and after my little outburst of raw honesty, I tilted the laptop to face me square on again, and just outright closed the web browser completely. My current desktop image was a photograph of the whole family, caught in varying stills from about a year ago. Mom, dad and Jake were with me in the forefront, striking the only forced 'pose' in the photo. Meanwhile, Rosalie and Emmett were playing chess on the porch, with Alice and Jasper sitting on the steps, just holding hands and talking. Finally, Esme was just coming outside from the sliding doors, holding a tray of freshly baked, double-chocolate chip and hazelnut cookies – Jake's favourite. I regretted that Carlisle wasn't there, well – not entirely. He had been behind the camera, but he'd also managed to catch the shadow of his pinky finger in this particular frame. It made the photo perfect in so many ways, but looking at it now was like a vicious stab to the chest, straight to my erratically beating heart. Without the view of the Olympic Forest behind us, we'd never be able to recreate this perfect scene.

" _Nessie_." I heard Jake's voice again, the tone firmer and more resolved this time. He had my attention straight away, but as soon as my eyes met his, my stomach sank. In all his chiefly wisdom, I knew that he was going to say something in an attempt to change my mind or convince me to think positively.

"Mill Creek might not be all _that_ bad." And there it was. I pursed my lips tight to stop from spilling me erratic thoughts, and felt my front teeth pinch at my bottom lip as I willed myself to just listen. "Sure, it isn't Forks, and it never will be but, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

It wasn't what I wanted to hear, so I snapped my head to the other side, looking completely away from him. I could still hear him sigh though.

"Why didn't you say anything before? About how you felt – didn't Edward hear your thoughts even?"

"No," I curtly shot that down. "At least, I don't think so? I've been trying to … distract myself."

Jake's jaw tensed as he seemed to connect all the dots and realise why I'd been spending a lot more time upstairs in my room lately, and trying my hardest to keep myself preoccupied with other things. Like going on longer hunting trips and beach walks and just generally trying to get away from the house.

"I think he's caught a hint or two."

I couldn't argue with that since rarely _anything_ seemed to escape my dad's attention, and my mom had her own way of figuring things out too.

"And he's probably just waiting for you to talk to him."

I couldn't argue with _that_ either. I think everyone was waiting for me to come undone at the seams, but I must have inherited my dad's resolve and stubbornness on that account.

"So… why didn't you just say something - _anything_?"

Because, _Jake_ , the answer would still be the same? Because Emmett was so excited by the prospect of bear-hunting and even Alice seemed content that it was 'the right choice' for the future? I settled on the rhetoric.

"Because we don't have a choice. If we stayed in Forks, Carlisle would still have to give up his job and then, it would only be a matter of time before word got around that we were still here, frozen in place." It was my turn to sigh, and then slap down the lid of my laptop screen altogether. I was tired of being taunted by the picture of my ideal life. "I know the reasons _why_ we have to move Jake, but that doesn't mean that I _like_ it. It doesn't mean that I _want_ to go!"

I finally looked back at him, and saw that he was staring down, wearing his 'thinking' frown. His deep set, dark brown eyes of his were intently staring at the bed ahead of us, whilst his pout formed a tautly pulled, straight line. What cut me up most of all, was that no matter how much a part of the family he is, he also belonged to another family. So by coming with us to West Virginia, he'd be leaving both his pack _and_ his dad and sisters behind. I wanted him to at least have the option to stay with them, but a horrible, completely selfish part of me, couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind. I know it sounds corny, and maybe even a little bit over-dramatic and dare I say hormonal _(?)_ but… I think if he stayed, it would be like, losing a major part of me. Just the thought of it made my chest ache and my eyes sting. I was already losing Forks. I couldn't lose Jacob too.

Suddenly, searing hot warmth found my right hand, and I looked down to see Jake's cinnamon hand resting on top of mine. "I don't want to go either," he admitted in a quieter voice.

Oh god… I felt my throat constrict, like a sinister hand was suddenly squeezing it right around the jugular. Lifting my gaze along what I knew to be a toned, russet arm, currently concealed by the long sleeves of a blue and white baseball shirt; I settled my eyes on his and felt hopelessly and completely lost. Not just for words, but for a concise and clear emotion. Everything was fuzzy and convoluted in my panic-accelerating mind. On one hand, I was so glad that he shared my opinion and yet, on the other… I dreaded to think what the 'other' meant.

Was Jake trying to tell me that he was having, or had had, second thoughts?

Was he going to choose the pack and his real family, over me?

No Jake, _please_. Blood isn't always thicker than water! Aren't _I_ your family too!?

I think the past week of hiding behind a smiling face and not allowing myself to feel anything beyond a numb façade, had finally just caught up with me. I hadn't cried unhappy tears in… 2 years, maybe? My life had been filled with so much joy and happiness; you could even say that I was spoilt by it. But the thought of Jacob and I being separated, even if it was only by 2,852 miles and 42hours, that was enough to tip me over the edge. I knew the tears were coming, because I felt pinpricks in my eyes followed by the sting of my very own salt lake dam opening up. I held my breath, trying to stop it, but in no time at all, the first, lukewarm teardrop slid down my cheek.

I choked, quickly raising a hand to my mouth to stop retching any further on the raw emotion that was consuming me whole. God, I'm so pathetic right now. Please, don't look at me Jake.

"Ness, are you –"

And then, I'm suddenly engulfed by fire, and it's embers are every bit as soothing and selfless as Jacob is. He scoots over and pulls me towards him in one fell swoop, and his thick, strong arms pull me me oh-so tightly against his broad and warm chest. I'm forced to uncross my legs and just, tuck my knees to the side, whilst I lean my back against Jake's strong, supporting arm. If I just lifted my butt a bit, and moved a little to the right, I could easily be sitting on his lap. Instead, I feel the side of his thigh against my lower back, and that contact is more than enough. Gladly resting my head against his chest, I'm close enough to hear his heart thundering like a constant tribal drumbeat. It almost mimics the rhythm droplets of rain that have started to pat against the windowpane, signalling that a storm is indeed brewing. The storm is inconsequential though, because I have Jacob here to protect me against all the odds. Unless… he decides to stay. I'm stabbed by that sharp pain again, and all I can do is press my face completely against his chest in the hope that it muffles my whimper enough to escape his notice.

It doesn't.

"It's okay," his voice soothes. "I'm here."

 _Yes, you are, but for how much longer, Jake?_

"I'll always be here. Just… let it all out."

I want to. I need to have a good cry, but I can't, and I won't. I have to be strong, and resolute, like a cold statue of ice and granite. I am half-vampire, after all. So I hold my breath again, and give in to the natural temptation to cling to him with arms thrown around his neck and forearms bent in a tight lock behind his head. _You're not going anywhere Jacob! I won't let you._

His bent knee nudges more prominently against my hip as he reciprocates by hugging me tighter, and now would be the perfect moment for my latent, time-freezing ability to manifest itself. I would quite happily stay like this for as long as possible.

 _I'll always be here_ , he'd said.

"Do you promise?" I finally manage to form words, albeit more like mumbled sounds, and I feel the muscles in his arms tense. He's already told me a dozen times before that he'll always be there for me. That I can always talk to him, about anything, and he'll never judge me. He's already made promises, but I need to hear it again.

"Nessie…" Unlike mine, his voice is calm and centred. "Where you go, I go, remember?" I stayed perfectly still as he paused a beat, before saying the one word I needed to hear. "It's not just a promise. It's a _fact_."

In that moment, my uneven heartbeat was irrevocably set to calm down but, something else happened instead. It was an entirely unexpected curveball, in the form of something velvety but a little moist, lightly pressing against my hairline. When I felt a warm blast of Jake's breath against my skin, I realised then – it was his lips, his beautiful lips, pressed so tenderly against my forehead in a symbol of his totally irrevocable and… appropriately platonic love. Only, we hadn't hugged like this a solid six months, and all for a good reason which, I _won't_ go into right now. The last time he'd held me like this though, it had been more reminiscent of a child being consoled by an older brother or cousin, or even a slightly older, best friend. When he hugged me now though, and kissed me, and made promises that I knew he'd always keep, my stomach started to flutter and my cheeks grew warm with the sensation of what felt like a dozen butterfly wings, flittering against the deepest, southern-most base of my gut. Just below the spot that warms when you feel really happy or excited or even nervous.

Loosening my hold on him, I slowly slid my arms off his shoulders, and resisted the _really_ strong urge to hold only his biceps with my hands. I lightly laid them on his shoulders instead, so I could gently push him in the opposite direction as I slowly leaned back. He took the hint, loosening his hold on me, but kept his hands on my arms. I wanted to look up at him, but I didn't dare meet his gaze right now, so I ducked my head to the left, and stared down at my bed. My dad would probably self-combust if he could see us both now, embracing on my bed, of all places. That thought at least helped to curve the uneasiness in my stomach, but I think it would take a little longer for the sensation to disappear entirely, along with the urge to reciprocate that kiss with my own lips, pressed against his.

"I'm sorry," I finally said, trying my hardest to focus on filling the silence with an explanation. "I know I should have said something before, instead of bottling everything up, and – "

I still had some tears left to spill, but I refused to let him see me looking so pathetic and helpless, even though the guilt of selfishly making him promise to come with me, stung like a twisting knife in my conscience. I was a terrible person for making him promise like that, and I realised now that I couldn't feel completely good about what I'd just done. Steeling myself for the worst though, I finally looked up at him with teary, blurry eyes and all.

"I should be telling you to stay here, with your family and your pack and –"

"What? Nessie, no –" His hands sharply gripped my arms and I almost winced at the sudden pressure he placed against my skin. To make matter worse, he glared at me with wide-awake eyes, commanding my attention and silently demanding that I keep eye contact. I didn't dare refuse whatever power he had over me right now. I didn't dare look away.

"You don't _need_ to offer me a choice, and even if you did, I know what I'd choose, over and over." His palms briefly moved down my arms a notch, like he was about to give me a good shake, but he settled instead for another, firm squeeze of my flesh. " _You're_ my family, Nessie. I mean, I love my dad and my sisters, even if they are a pain in the ass sometimes. It sucks to have to leave them behind but, they don't _need_ me here. They'll be fine."

All I could do was draw long, deep breaths into my lungs. Was Jake saying that… I needed him more? He wasn't wrong but, something inside me panicked at the sheer intensity of that statement. It was okay that I was aware of what I wanted and needed, but I didn't realise he was totally aware of it too. Was the feeling… mutual then? Did… did he _need_ me?

Or did he just feel obliged to keep babysitting me until I was fully grown up and ready to face the world on my own two feet?

A reassuring smile lifted the corners of Jacob's lips; those same lips that had gently touched my forehead just seconds go. I studied his face in silence, tracing his high cheekbones and smooth skin with my eyes alone, and noting how relaxed he seemed with this whole conversation. There wasn't an ounce of regret or remorse as he explained his decision to me. It felt like, he was at peace with his choice.

"I know why we have to leave, and I don't like it either, but at least we're in this together." His jaw tightened then, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he abruptly looked away. "And you'll have Bella and Edward there too, not to mention blondie and log-head and pixie and… the other one."

"And grandpa and grandma," I added.

"And grandpa and grandma," he agreed. We both lightly smiled, until my smile transformed into a nervous little giggle, and he replied with a soft chuckle of his own. I finally dropped my hands from his shoulders, and likewise, he moved his hands from my arms. I frantically took the opportunity to tuck an amber curl behind my left ear, and he in turn raked his fingers through his raven black hair.

"Thanks, Jake." Huffing an embarrassed little breath, I frantically tried to dry my eyes with the sweep of my fingers. To my surprise, the rough pad of Jake's thumb touched my cheek, and his eyes studied me carefully as he wiped the salty wetness away with a gentle brush.

"Anytime, Nessie."

I clamped down on my lower lip and grazed my teeth across the skin. The moment before was lost and yet, here we were, still sitting close together; his thigh still resting against my lower back. Neither of us made any attempt to move as we just gazed at each other in placated silence, and I had to wonder; if the roll of thunder in the distance hadn't interrupted us, what would have happened next?

Unfortunately, I'll never know, because as soon as Jake's attention was stolen by the weather outside, he cleared his throat and dropped his hand. We both looked to the huge wall of a window, and then, I caught a victorious grin capturing his mouth.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but, isn't thunder a sure sign of a storm?"

Ugh… and we were back full circle. "N-No? Shut up, Jacob. I'm _not_ eating my words."

He suddenly grabbed my laptop. "Okay, then let's google it."

"Jake!" I tried to grab my laptop back, but he jumped off the bed before I could snatch it from his strong grasp. I was fast too, but he remained one step ahead of me in this game. He already had the lid open when I was on my feet, and every attempt to reach around him was met by the smooth turn of his body to one side of the other.

"What are you so worried about?" He taunted with laughter in his voice. "It's not like google will tell us that thunder equals a storm, right?"

"Jaaaake!"

He outright barked a laugh again, and I could hear my laptop whirling to life as the web browser opened up. Quickly moving around my bed, Jake managed to type two words into google search, before I finally yanked the laptop off him.

"Okay already! You win. There's definitely a storm outside. You were right and I was wrong." I huffed a breath, and put my free hand on my hip. "Happy now?"

"Very," he beamed.

Just then, we both heard the front door suddenly slam, and Aunt Alice's voice carried up the stairs of the family home.

"It's time! C'mon you two, the storm won't last forever."

I exchanged glances with Jacob, but before he could make a swift escape from my room, he was blocked by the barricade that was a slightly perturbed, raven haired vampire. She may have only been 5'3" tall, but when she lacked in height, she made up for in her bubbly and larger than life persona. Alice just… breathes life and energy into everything she does, and everyone she touches with her kindness. Honestly, she's more of a sister to me than an aunt. Although, right now, as she looked me up and down, she was a shrieking sister.

"What?! You're not even _dressed_ yet?"

 _Crap._

I forgot to mention; Alice may be heaps of fun, but getting on her bad side is never a wise move. Looking down at myself, I realised what she meant by 'dressed'. Both Alice and Jake were wearing their baseball t-shirts and sports clothes, whereas I was still in my casual jeans and simple vest. I could play baseball as I was in bare feet but, Alice would have a fit. She has a lot of unwritten rules when it comes to clothes, so when it came to playing baseball, we all had to play our part by wearing the appropriate uniform.

"Uh… I better leave you two to it." Jake once again tried to leave, but not before Alice had folded her arms against her equally modest chest, and glared up at him.

"Yes, you better run doggie, and don't think you're off the hook either. It's your fault she's not ready I hope you realise." Finally stepping aside, she made room for him to leave, but not before one final little verbal push. "Well? Go on then. And by the way, Emmett was looking for you."

"Gotcha." Right now, I think Jake would've ran to _anyone_ if it meant escaping from Alice's wrath. I wish I could've ran with him, but instead, I was being pinned in place by my aunt's narrowing glare.

"Honestly, you two have all the time in the world to hang out, but he just _has_ to distract you moments before our game's due to start." I stayed put, but followed her with my eyes and ears as she disappeared into my walk-in closet. "It's so rude and… inconvenient!"

I was terrible at keeping my closet all tidy and colour-coded, which is how I always knew whenever Alice had paid a visit; because everything would be arranged and neatly sorted. She'd already packed most of my clothes and shoes away for me, but she'd left a few of the basics for me; like my baseball kit. It didn't take her long at all to rummage in the drawer for it, and return to my room with a pair of sneaker in one hand, and clothes draped over her arm. I opened my mouth to try to shoulder the blame she'd automatically lodged at Jacob, but then I realised there was no point. She was a woman on a mission, and I didn't want to be the person to derail her.

"One minute," she announced, sternly. "Then I'll expect you downstairs and ready to go." She carefully laid out my clothes and put my sneakers down at the end of the bed. Then, contrary to her bossiness, she smiled in a 'knowing' way. I just wish I knew what it was she knew that we were supposed to be sharing right now.

"I _suppose_ I'll have to escort you," she added. "Wouldn't want you getting lost on the way to our usual spot."

What on earth was she talking about? Why would I get lost? Taking advantage of the fact that I was obviously confused, she grinned and turned on her heel, moving to the door. "One minute, Nessie."

Then, hurricane Alice was gone from my room, just as abruptly as she'd arrived.

I didn't have time to start thinking about what had happened with Jacob just now, or try to savour the warm and fuzzy feelings he'd evoked inside me. Instead, I unzipped and unbuttoned my jeans, and pulled my vest up and over my head of bronze waves. I had baseball to play, which meant it was time to put my game face on.

 _And I don't know where to go;  
This house has changed so much since I grew.  
I don't know what to do;  
My heart is racing back and forth._

 _I don't know who to love;_  
 _This house has changed so much since I grew._  
 _I don't know where to go;_  
 _My heart is racing back and forth._

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter Two: "Strike Three - You're Out!"_


	2. Chapter 2: Three Strikes, you're out!

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and shapeshifters and hopeless romance.  
_

 _A.N. Hello readers, and welcome to the second chapter of 'Black Sun Supernova'. I definitely can't promise that I'll always update so often, but since it's the weekend, and I've got a horrible cold, I seem to have plenty of muse. Oh, and an actual thunderstorm raged outside half way through writing it, so I took it as a sign to finish ;)  
_

 _So without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 2: "Strike three, you're out!"  
**

As I ran alongside Alice, zipping past the trees and foliage of the Olympic Forest, the grey skies above us were occasionally illuminated by brilliant white streaks of forked lightning, followed by the roll of thunder after one… two… three… four seconds. The storm was getting closer, which meant it was almost time for the game to begin. Despite the muddy ground that tried in vain to cling to my every footstep, I easily kept up pace with Alice, who was among the fastest runners in the family. Even at our pace though, by the time we made it to the 'usual spot' in the forest clearing, the baseball pitch was already set-up with all the plates and the grass was marked with white lines of paint.

As I slowed to a stop, I could hear Carlisle going over the rules with everyone; just to be sure we were all on the same page. Not bothered by the rain at all, mom and dad were just holding hands as they listened to him, especially mom, who usually wound up marking the bases. Rosalie hated sports, so she wore her usual, sour-faced 'I don't want to be here' expression; stuck-up nose in the air and all. Jasper was too busy stretching and warming up to pay much attention to the rules, until Alice was pulled towards him like a magnet. As she mirrored his current side-stretch opposite him, he paused to grin at her like the Cheshire cat who was just offered a plate of cream. They both had a competitive streak that always came out in games like this, and I already knew from the glances they were exchanging that they _definitely_ wouldn't be sleeping in the house tonight.

 _Grosse_.

I saw Esme handing a blue cap to Jacob, who had his back to me, for now. Just as I started to approach my parents though, someone roughly shoved a baseball cap over my semi-wet, amber locks. Alice had forced me to wear a hooded, waterproof active-wear jacket, which was now pretty soaked. As soon as we'd started running though, the hood had just flown back.

"Whoah there lil' whipper snapper!" Emmett's booming voice laughed, and I beamed back as I re-adjusted the cap over my ponytail. "Looks like we're batting against each other, so you should probably conserve some energy if you want a chance at beating me."

Most competitive of all the family was Emmett, hands down.

Wait a second… we were batting against each other?

"You already picked teams?!" I practically pouted as I realised I'd missed the chance to be on Jake's team, like I wanted to be. After all, this would probably be our last game of baseball in Forks, so I wanted to share the victory with him. Together, we were always a force to be reckoned with, virtually on any playing field thrown at us. When pitted against each other though, our own competitive streaks flared, and it was anyone's guess who would ultimately win. Except for when I was younger, when he used to just let me be the victor. I was glad when he actually started to flex his muscles properly though, which made me realise that we were pretty equally matched against one another.

"Yeah, boys versus girls!" Emmett announced, and I felt my shoulders sag as he puffed his chest out. He was practically striking a victory pose already, whilst I was inwardly groaning at my sheer bad luck. I would be batting against Jake. Was this my punishment for being late?

Tearing the cap off my head, I saw the colour and groaned out loud this time. _Red_. It was red, not blue, like the one Esme had handed to Jake a second ago. "Well whose bright idea was _that_?"

"Mine."

I recognised the gruffly-tinted voice, but still, I had to turn my wide-eyes at him just to be sure. Yup, there stood Jacob, looking pretty proud of himself right now. On cue, Emmett laughed and clapped his arm around Jake's shoulder, patting his back in a half-bro hug. Unlike Rosalie, Emmett didn't seem to mind getting close to Jake like this. Likewise, Jake always seemed to welcome the bro-like camaraderie, even if it was coming from a 'leech'.

"I see," I made my best attempt to be as nonchalant as possible. Reaching up and slightly behind me, I flicked my hood over my cap, and then rested my hands on my hips. "Well in that case, prepare to get both your asses beat."

Yeah, I could be _insanely_ competitive too. I think it just ran in the family, for the most part.

"That's the spirit!" Emmett laughed, once again clapping Jake's back before he moved away to rally the rest of his troops. That left me standing opposite Jacob, feeling sheepish enough to hug my arms against my torso.

"I should warn you," he smirked, taking a step closer. "I won't go easy on you."

I smirked back, and reciprocated with a step of my own so there was nothing more than a few inches left between us. I didn't care that he was physically taller than me by a solid seven inches – height is just a measurement after all, and a measurement is just a number.

"Good. I'll have the satisfaction of leaving Forks having totally annihilated you."

His brows lifted, because those right there were fighting words, and Jacob never backed down from a challenge.

"Oh you're going to _annihilate_ me?"

"Damn right I am."

He barked a laugh then; a really jovial sound that was pure music to my ears. No instrument in the world could possibly hope to even mimic a note like that.

"Challenge accepted." Backing up a few steps, he just smirked at me, and then finally turned to jog over to Emmett and the others. I had to stop myself from watching him run.

The guys were on the defence, aka they were fielding and pitching first, so they were probably planning on who was going to give who the best curveball. Tucking a stray curl behind my ear, I subconsciously moved to my mom's side. She was wearing one of dad's old school 'Forks High' hoodies, which was oversized on her but, also oddly suited her. Without saying anything, she just gave a squeeze of my hand, like she knew I needed some kind of reassurance right now. I know my mom's a shield, but sometimes, I feel like she might be psychic too. It's almost like she just… _knows;_ like she knew that I'd been crying just a few moments ago. I guess it was just female intuition? Right now, my mind had to stay fixed on the game, but if I had a stumbling moment, I knew she'd be there for me. I didn't dare stop to think about things now at the risk of being yet another emotional wreck, but I think she had an inkling that I might need to talk later.

"So the guys are pretty sure they've won already." Alice started, twirling the bat effortlessly in one hand. She'd already dubbed herself the team captain, but no one had the heart or the gall to complain. Alice was great at motivating people, but she was also great at getting a little too charged up by all the energy around her. I knew that as far as Rosalie was concerned though, the guys pretty much _had_ already won. She was usually first to be 'put out' in one way or other.

"So we need to figure out a flawless tactic," Alice continued. "Bella?"

"Working on it." My mom's voice sounded a bit strained, and then I realised that she was probably putting the majority of her focus into maintaining a strong shield around all five of us. I gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement back, and saw her lightly smile.

"Rose, you can go first. Then me, then Esme, then Bella… and then you Renesmee." I suddenly felt like I was the secret weapon, but that didn't make much sense, since Alice and my mom were fast runners too. I just secretly hoped that Jake wouldn't be pitching for me. I'd much rather he was marking me, so I could prove once and for all that I could run faster than him.

"Emmett will throw the first ball," Alice continued. I had to wonder if she'd already seen this game play out, which was technically cheating. It wasn't like it was uncommon knowledge that she could see the future though, and with that in mind, Jasper could always throw a curveball and mix things up.

"Then it'll be Jasper, Carlisle, Edward, and Jacob."

My mom gave a snort as she cast a glance to the boys, who were huddled in a circle. "I'm sensing a pattern here."

"I know," Alice smirked. "But don't let them distract you."

Pattern!? As far as I could see, everyone was matched against their soulmate, whilst I was left over to be matched against my best friend. Well what if I wanted dad or uncle Jasper to pitch to me instead? It was like, we – Jacob and I, were the leftovers: The half-breed versus the shapeshifter.

I'd grown up in such a loving environment, so I could hardly complain about my family and the fact that they were all paired up so neatly and perfectly. Every yin had their yang, and so forth. Whenever mom and dad wanted time alone together, I always had Jacob to keep me company. I hadn't really started to think about the whole arrangement properly, until my last 'study vacation' with mom and dad. I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't eventually be nice to have what each of my parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles had. A soulmate to call my own, for however many years I had left on this Earth. Or, maybe I just liked the idea that there was someone out there who completed me?

Geez, that sounds so corny. Without thinking, my eyes suddenly turned to Jake as he moved to take his position out on the field, and I felt my expression soften. I guess, so long as he stayed with me, until the end, then I could live with that. I mean, he made me happier than words could describe… though I'm sure I could string a bunch together. Not now though. Tearing my gaze away, I focused on the game rather than these… weird and silly ponderings.

"Well, if distraction is their aim." Rosalie spoke up, as she finally snatched the offered bat from Alice. Tucking it under her left arm for now, she looked down as she pulled at the front of her small baseball shirt and tied a knot in the material. "Then two can play that game." With her pale navel indecently exposed, her ruby-painted lips smirked as Esme and Alice stifled an impressed laugh. Even my mom smiled.

Now that the boys had taken their places on the pitch, Rosalie practically sauntered over to the batting spot. For a brief moment, Emmett's eyes widened, as he blatantly watched her shamelessly swung her full hips left and right, as though she was 'just practicing' her bat swings. She was good at… this kind of 'thing', but I knew that if I tried something like that, I'd just look like a misplaced dorkazoid.

The sudden crack of thunder announced the start of the game, but Emmett seemed oblivious for a second, as he continued to watch Rosalie settle into her batting position. Personally, I've never seen anyone bat with their butt parked that far out, but I guess that explains why she misses the ball so much.

"You ready, big boy?" She taunted in a cooing voice and sounded like a bombshell Monroe, which had Emmett grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly threw the ball…

"STRIKE ONE!"

Ignoring Jasper's accurate call as the umpire, Rosalie readjusted her footing, and took another practice swing.

"Too fast for ya?" Emmett taunted back, and I couldn't help but chuckle alongside the other girls. Rosalie was baiting him to eventually just go easy on her, and he was falling headfirst into her trap. Despite all his bravado, he really was a big softie.

"Hmm, I wasn't ready," she teased back.

So the second ball was thrown.

"STRIKE TWO!"

This time, Rosalie stood up straight and groaned. Well, it was more like a moan actually. Slipping the bat between her knees, she stood up straight and re-tied her hair back into a high-ponytail. I could literally feel Alice face-palming. This really wasn't how baseball was supposed to be played, but I had to admit, I admired Rosalie's confidence right now. Maybe in a few years time, I'd be able to command people with the power of my body alone. Even if my hips weren't quite so wide as Aunt Rose's.

"Still not ready?" Emmett laughed. Of all the people on the pitch today, Rosalie was the one person he couldn't be mean to. She was also the only person on the pitch who could get away with coaxing him into toning down his strong arm. "Okay, nice and easy it is."

The guys still didn't think she'd hit it, but as the third and final ball hurtled towards her, the thunderous 'clank' of the metal bat hitting it brought a wave of silence across the pitch.

"Whoah!" Even Emmett was surprised, considering he'd still given her a curve ball to contend with. Edward and Jacob both darted off the catch the ball, whilst Rosalie dropped the bat and started to run to the first base. Carlisle ran ahead of her, hoping to be the one to tag her out at the next base. Meanwhile, Edward jumped to catch the ball, followed by Jacob, but rather than catch the ball, they both collided in a useless heap as they reached up to claim the reward at the same time. Even from the other side of the field, I could see them shoving each other in their attempt to stand up first.

"Seven years later and they still can't work together." I heard my mom mutter with clear amusement in her tone.

"GO ROSALIE!" Alice screamed louder than ever, leaping for joy as Rose skid over the fourth and final mark before Carlisle could catch the ball that was _finally_ thrown to him. I could only laugh as I caught Jake shoving at my dad's shoulder, tossing the blame at him for being too slow with the throw.

Aunt Rose and Alice high-five each other, before Alice moved to the batter's box. She only needed to eyeball Jasper to keep that tension from earlier rolling between them. As expected from all of us though, she hit the first ball hard, but she also smartly stayed at third base before she could be caught out by Emmett. I know she hated not getting a homerun, but three clear bases were better than none.

Next up, Esme. To no one's surprise, her smile was about as soft as the balls Carlisle pitched at her. If we weren't all wearing different coloured hats, it would probably look like they were playing on the same team. There was love in all three of his pitches, and when she hit the third ball, he laughed with pure and utter joy. Alice made it home safe, but Esme only made it to the second base before Jacob was there to almost but not quite tag her out.

"My turn," my mom announced. As she walked over, she awkwardly tugged her hair loose and just let the gentle breeze carry her shampoo-aided scent over to my stoic dad. I saw him tense, and wondered if the smell of strawberries in her hair held a deeper meaning for them? Whilst mom got ready though, Rosalie stepped beside me and spoke in a hushed voice. Barely even a whisper, but just about loud enough for me to hear her above the crack of my mom's bat hitting the first ball.

"So, how do you plan to deal with the mutt?"

"Huh?" I wasn't the best at multi-tasking; especially when I was too busy watching Jake mark my mom.

"Your method of distraction. What are you going to do?"

Jasper caught the ball and threw it straight to Jake, just as my mom cleared the second base.

"Oh," I muttered. "Erm…"

It was close. _Really_ close. Like, neck-and-neck, but just a milli-second before my mom cleared the last base, Jake slammed the ball down on the plate ahead of her foot. They both skidded and rolled, ending up in a loosely wound pile a few feet from their original destination. There was dried grass in mom's locks as she sat up, and gave the laughing Jake a firm shove.

"Damn it Jacob!" Her hoarse voice practically growled, and even dad was laughing at the whole exchange as he high-fived a beaming Emmett. I just wish that was me all caught up and tangled under Jake…

" _Renesmee_?" I quickly snapped my drifting attention back to Rosalie, and tugged on my lower lip with my two front teeth.

"Oh, erm… I dunno, roll my shirt up? Let my hair down, maybe?"

Nostrils flaring, she folded her arms and huffed an unimpressed breath. How was I supposed to know how to best distract Jacob? He was a raging ball of competitiveness right now, which meant he'd be taking no prisoners with the curve balls. I needed to be focused 200%, not shaking my butt and getting hair in my face.

"Whatever you're going to do, you better do it fast." She gave what I guess was an encouraging nudge against my arm with hers, before she moved to give Alice some kind of 'knowing' look. I wish I knew what they both knew that I didn't, but as mom strode towards me, I figured there were more important things right now. Like kicking Jacob's ass…

"Go get him," she encouraged with a playful shove.

Thunder cracked above me, but the rain had virtually stopped now. It was like Mother Nature was edging me on too. One for the girls, or something like that? As I moved to the batter's square, I briskly unzipped my rain jacket, and just tossed it to the side. I think Alice made certain to catch it. My jogging leggings were a bit damp from the calves down, and my sneakers were pretty soaked through; but at least my green and white baseball t-shirt was nice and dry.

I seriously considered pulling my ponytail free, but I really didn't want my hair getting all in my face. I think all women know for a fact that Mother Nature isn't always on our side. It would only take a sudden rush of wind to obscure my vision and miss the ball, and Jake would never let me live that down.

I also considered trying out a few test poses like Rosalie, but on second thought, I should probably practice something like _that_ in front of a mirror first. So in the end, I just took my spot, picked up the bat, and tucked a stray lock of escaped hair behind my ear.

"Is that it?" I could hear Rosalie mutter, so I tried to block out everything, and focused wholly on Jacob with the best death-glare I could muster. He was tossing the ball up and down in his hand, narrowing his eyes at me as if he was planning something well and truly awful. My stomach lurched and I found myself nervously readjusting my footing a little. It was normal for us to be competitive against each other, but always in a friendly way. This felt like serious business though, and that got my adrenaline pumping overtime.

The more I stared at Jake though, the more I was aware of how his clothes were sticking to him, _literally_. His baseball shirt had been tight to begin with, but now, I could see patches of his cinnamon skin beneath the white material pulled tautly over his chest, down to the prominent bumps of his six pack. Or… was it an eight pack? I tried to shake my head and clear my thoughts before I started to count the contours of his… _seriously_ , he might as well just take the damn shirt off! I licked my suddenly dry lips at just the thought of half-naked Jacob in the rain, and quickly had to blink in succession to tear my gaze and thoughts away.

Suddenly, he threw the ball, and I swung the bat.

"STRIKE ONE!"

"What!?" I squeaked. Had I missed!? As I turned around, sure enough, there was Emmett, holding the white ball in his mitt like a damn trophy. God, I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face more than ever right now.

"Concentrate Nessie," he teased, then threw the ball back at Jacob. He caught it with effortless precision in one hand. _Of course he did_. Then, he repeated that motion of bouncing it up and down in his hand, sizing me up once again.

Mom must have been shielding us, because dad wasn't even close to marching over to me and dragging me by the ear off to Timbuktu or wherever. Thank goodness he hadn't heard my thoughts just now, or I'd have been grounded on study leave again for the rest of my life. He'd made it more than clear that he didn't approve of me thinking about Jacob 'that way', but geez! I couldn't help it. His amazingly muscular body was just one of several things that made him so, well… _Perfect_.

Taking a deep breath, I levelled my eyes on his, and re-centred my focus. Like mine, his stare was firm, like nothing else existed on the pitch but me and him. The slightest of smirks teased at the left corner of his mouth, and my gaze instantly dropped there for a second, remembering the feeling of those lips recently pressed against my forehead. _Bad idea_ – _focus Nessie!_ Snapping my attention back to his eyes though, was also bad idea. Just staring into those deep-set hues was enough to make my tummy do flips. Taking a deep, breath, I steadied myself, and…

"STRIKE TWO!"

Jaw dropping, I blinked. Did Emmett just say… Strike _TWO_!? Before I could even turn around to question his accuracy as umpire, the ball zipped past me, and I heard the distinct thud of it hitting Jake's receiving palm.

"Do you need a time out?" Emmett teased. It irked me more that Jake wasn't saying anything though. Just silently pitching these crazy-past curve balls, and smirking to himself triumphantly. Maybe I should have gone for Rosalie's indecent t-shirt trick instead? After all, I hardly ever showed my bare stomach, or any unnecessary skin for that matter. I think it was too late to test the theory now though.

Instead, I readjusted my footing for the third and final time, hoping to get a more stable balance on the soft and soggy ground. My practice swing had Jake's jaw tensing, and he too, readjusted his footing. _Great._ _Here comes the worst curve ball in the history of –_

I suddenly had to swing the bat.

"STRIKE THREE! YOU'RE OUT'TA HERE!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" I turned to outright shout at Emmett first, and tossed the bat down second. What the actual f- _udge_! Since when did Jacob know how to throw like that!? Taking a moment to glare at him with my mouth wide open, he just gave a smirking shrug of his shoulders, like it was no big deal.

"Guess you were too distracted by my awesomeness," he finally broke the silence between us.

I guess I'd been distracted by a _lot_ of things, but now I had to wonder: had he won because he had a mean pitching arm, or was he playing some other kind of game? No, that was just silly. I couldn't exactly blame him for my own, wandering gaze. Wasn't it meant to make a girl feel good though, when a guy proves how strong he is, and all that… stuff? I didn't need Jacob to prove himself to me though. I already knew he was strong and fast and more than capable of protecting me.

"No fair!" I heard myself whine, realising my thoughts were spilling out loud. "That last pitch was off-mark!" Even though I was challenging Jake, it was Emmett who chuckled and patted his cold palm against my tensed up shoulders.

"C'mon Nessie, don't be such a sore loser. Besides, you'll get your chance to grovel some more in round two."

I decided there and then that the only person grovelling would be Jacob. And the rest of the guys, for that matter. _This meant war_.

"Alice," I practically barked my aunt's name as I stormed over to join my huddling up team. "We need a new strategy."

"What the hell happened?" She shot back at me, looking about as surprised as I was that I hadn't hit a single one of Jake's balls – I mean, _pitches_. Although, if he kept on acting so cocky, I might be tempted to attempt one of Leah's infamous knee-jerk reactions...

"I dunno," I admitted with a shrug. "I guess Jake's been holding back all these years?"

Rosalie outright snorted at that, so I just shot her a 'shut up' death glare.

"Well we need to seriously bring it for round two ladies," Alice mediated. Folding her arms, she huffed a pensive breath, and I could practically hear the cogs in her head turning. "All right, they'll be expecting us to return the favour, eye for an eye, but I've got a better idea." All eyes were focused on her intently, and she slowly grinned, clearly proud of herself. "We're going to mark the person who pitched for us."

 _Best. Idea. Ever!_

"No way!" Rosalie held her hands up and took a defensive step back, away from the circle. "I'm not running against Emmett. You all know how excitable and competitive he gets, and after the little stint I pulled earlier, he'll have me rolling in the mud just for the sake of it!"

 _Ick_. Sometimes it was kind of grosse just how shamelessly intimate Emmett and Rosalie were with each other. I totally believed it when Alice let slip how the entire family had refused to live with them for a whole year, just after their wedding day. That's one heck of a honeymoon period.

Since Rosalie had scored us an amazing homerun, I decided to come to her rescue.

"I'll mark him," I volunteered. After all, Emmett had been teasing me at every opportunity he could get today, and I knew now was the chance to best him at something. Besides, I didn't mind getting muddy. "But on one condition…"

"Yes?" Alice impatiently urged, as I paused to cast a narrowed glance over at my prey. This was a condition I refused to compromise with.

"I'm marking Jake too."

No one seemed surprised by that, or against it for that matter. I needed to redeem myself, and this was the only way I could.

The plan seemed to work straight away. As expected, Rosalie pitched for Emmett first, and as soon as his bat cracked thunderously against the first ball, I bolted into a sprint alongside him. He was fast, but mud or no mud, I was determined to be faster. Luckily, what Emmett had in physical strength, he lacked in speed. It was only a matter of seconds before I was ahead of him, and as soon as I heard the _zip_ of the ball being thrown to me from my equally fast mom, I spun to catch it.

"Can't! Lose!" I heard Emmett's strained voice like some kind of mantra, as he raced for the final base. He was obviously hoping for a home run to set the guys on a winning course. Laughing like a maniac, I plunged ahead of him, literally skidding to the fourth plate and slamming the ball down.

"YOU'RE OUT!" I shouted, not caring that the back of my thighs and my butt was most likely now streaked in wet soil and torn grass.

Ever the sore loser, Emmett yanked his hat off. "Well played lil' whipper snapper." He managed to say through his clenched jaw. "Well played." I knew better than to accept his offered hand though.

"Oh puh-lease, like I'm falling for _that_ trick ever again!" The last time I beat him, in a similar fashion, he'd offered to help me stand up, only to let go of my hand right when I gained momentum. The result had been me, falling backwards in the mud again. No muddy butt for me today thanks! Well… _muddier_ butt.

Chuckling, I got up by myself, and by now he'd warmed enough to grant me one of his congratulating fist pumps. "Guess I can't beat you all the time," he offered. I just laughed and let his bruised ego have that one for free.

"We'll see about that."

The guys mixed the order up, but we'd mixed things up too. Whereas my dad no doubt expected mom to pitch for him, his brows lightly furrowed when Alice stepped up instead. After he hit the second ball, and both Rosalie and Esme chased after it; I found myself holding my breath as I watched my parents run alongside each other. They were so perfectly matched, even if they were playing for different teams. By the time Esme had the ball, dad was already halfway between third and fourth base. As soon as he earned the homerun, he slowed to catch mom up in his arms and they both just laughed as he spun round. I loved to witness and hold onto precious memories like these. Just when I started to wish I'd brought my camera, I heard a digital click, and looked over at Esme. She was already one step ahead of me.

"There's another one for the family album," she smiled.

Carlisle was next, but Esme and Rosalie had been whispering, and now I saw why. Just to confuse the guys again, Esme was going to pitch this time, and Rosalie would mark. A homerun was a tough act to follow, but getting to second base was respectable enough. I was still just glad that I'd managed to catch out Emmett. _One down, one more to go._

Jasper was the epitome of calm and collected as he stepped up next, but when I stepped up to pitch for him, I saw the slightest hint of a smile break his concentration. He glanced to Alice over at first base then, and I guess he just knew. Twirling the bat in his hand once, his smile broadened into a grin and he gripped the bat with both hands. I guess he was excited by the fact that Alice would be running against him, one on one.

I had a pretty mean curve ball, courtesy of Jake actually, who'd taught me how to catch and throw before I knew how to swing a bat properly. He had funny names for this throws though, like 'the reaper' or 'the buzz saw'. I think he was just being goofy to make me laugh, but just the thought of it now had me trying not to giggle. I wonder what he'd call those balls he'd pitched to me today?

 _Focus._ I told myself. So with a sterner frown, I drew my arm back, and threw.

"STRIKE ONE!" Umpire Esme announced from behind Jasper. I saw his expression twitch with a hint of annoyance, so I didn't make him wait much longer for the second throw.

 _CLUNK!_

Thunder was followed by lightning as he bolted across the pitch, and whilst Alice ran with him, my mom jumped up high to catch the ball. Carlisle had made it home safe, but Alice was determined to stop Jasper from getting past the third base. Mom made the mistake of throwing to Rosalie, probably hoping to cover more ground more quickly that way. I could've face palmed the second I saw Rose catch and then drop the ball like a hot potato. Vampire reflexes or no; sports of any kind _really_ weren't her forte. By the time she recovered, and threw the ball at Alice, it was too late. She slammed down on fourth base, but Jasper's foot sped past seconds before she could catch him out.

"YEAH!" Emmett fist-pumped the sky. "HOME-RUN!"

Edward and Jake just grinned, both moving to clap a hand on Jasper's back, whereas a far more 'proper' Carlisle calmly applauded his third son. In that moment, I felt the blood drain from my face. This was it. It all boiled down to me now, and whether or not I could catch Jacob out.

Maybe I should be the one pitching instead?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I turned to see my mom coming to stand next to me, bouncing the ball in her hand. She was watching the guys celebrate, and shook her head slowly at them. "We got this," she quietly said.

Nodding, I lifted my hand to high-five her, then moved to first base. Enroute, I inevitably crossed paths with my two favourite, bickering aunts.

"Rose you're the worst catcher ever!" Aunt Alice sulked, whereas Aunt Rose just groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Well what do you want me to do? I'm always telling you how much I hate this game but alas, you _always_ make me play."

"Practice, practice, _practice._ " I couldn't help but snort at Alice's encouragement. I'd never say it out loud, but I think Rosalie had had enough practice by now to prove that it didn't always make you perfect. She was just really, _really_ bad at baseball.

"This should be interesting," I heard my dad say, as I took my spot and finally dared to glance his way. _Figures_. He was too busy watching mom and muttering something I couldn't hear beyond the sudden crack of thunder to a grinning Emmett. Judging from the glance he shot Rosalie next, I guessed they were both laughing at the fact that she was standing behind Jake, ready to catch whatever balls he missed. We all knew she probably hated being so close to the 'mutt' as she called him, but I wish she'd just stop with her sour-puss expression already. To me, Jake didn't smell bad at all. To me, he was…

Suddenly, our eyes collided, and I swear I blushed beetroot red as he held my gaze for a second before I quickly looked away. I'd been shamelessly caught in the act of gazing at him, but I still had a niggling urge to peek back. As soon as I did, he met my gaze _again_ , only this time, I just bit down on the corner of my bottom lip as I narrowed my eyes at him. _That's right Jacob._ I cast my mental threats, even though he couldn't hear me. _Prepare to be royally butt-whooped._ It was all I could do to stop fantasising about him soaking wet and shirtless…. And wet, and shirtless, and –

 _THWACK!_

That's my Jacob! Bursting forward as he did, having mightily struck the first ball mom pitched him, I must have had the craziest, biggest smile on my face as I ran slightly ahead of him. As we passed the second base, I could hear the distant thud of Alice catching the ball in her palm. My head snapped to the side as the ball suddenly zipped towards me. Reaching out with my right arm, I caught it, but at the expense of losing speed by the smallest fraction. It was a window of opportunity for Jacob though, so he pressed on harder; his feet pounding into the mud as he refusing to be slowed down by it.

"Oh no you don't!" I hoarsely barked in-between strained breaths and, not really thinking about the rules, instinctively reached out. Rules be damned – I was _not_ going to let him win a second time! As soon as I was close enough to grab a fistful of his shirt, I tugged back mercilessly. I'd hoped to just slow him down enough to get ahead again, or better yet, tag him with the ball. As he was jerked backwards though, I didn't count on his back actually colliding into my front. My feet suddenly slid forwards in the grease-like mud as I was knocked off balance, but Jacob was desperately trying to spin to salvage the situation and I… well I was just clinging on for dear life to his tearing t-shirt as we both twisted and stumbled. A strong arm caught me around the waist, but the momentum of our sprint had us both toppling and falling into a bundle of rolling limbs. It all happened in the blink or two of a human eye, but when I finally stopped rolling with him, I was sandwiched between the mud, and a very hard, heavy, and panting body.

"Geez Nessie," he huffed, trying to catch his breath. My wide eyes were drawn to the shift of his Adam's apple as he gulped on a mouthful of air, and lifted himself up a fraction. I replicated, but I think I was half breathless from the sprint, and half breathless from the fact that – _holy crap_! Jacob was on top of me!

"You really are a sore loser."

He moved his arm in record speed, and little jolts of mini-lightning bolts sparked up my arm where his bare skin had brushed against it. When I finally caught on to why he'd moved, it was too late. His palm planted down on the fourth base marker, which meant not only was he in with a homerun, but the guys team had clearly won the game. In the background, I could hear Emmett and Jasper cheering – well, mostly Emmett cheering. Carlisle and Esme chuckled softly together, and I could feel Alice's scowl even from my sandwiched predicament. Despite it all though, all I could do right now, was laugh nervously – because Jake was still on top of me… Any second now, I was sure that my dad would be storming over to break us up.

"Okay, okay, I'm a terrible loser!" It was true. I was already plotting my revenge – best of 3 and all. Yet the ripples of Jake's warm laughter vibrating over me had my stomach tightening in unbearable knots, and if we stayed like this a moment longer, I felt like I was going to self-combust. "Whatever! Now would be a good time to get off me Jake!"

"Oh, right." It was the most curt and casual 'oh's' in the history of 'oh's', as I don't think he fully seemed to grasp the fact that maybe, just _maybe_ , I was a little bit uncomfortable right now. I mean, it was amazing my dad still hadn't raced over with blazing red eyes screaming bloody murder. " _Oh_!"

I think he finally caught on.

With widening eyes as the realisation of our position finally struck him like a bolt of late lightning, Jake quickly scrambled up, albeit a little clumsily. I only just realised, as he got up on his hands and knees, that my right leg had been tossed over his hip. Thankfully, my left leg had been caught in between his – not that that made the whole position any less embarrassing! If I'd completely been straddling him though, I don't think I'd be able to look him in the eye again for _at least_ 24hours.

Once I'd unceremoniously closed my legs shut, all I could do was lay back, and be totally floored by the sight of Jake standing over me. I must have mostly torn the back of shirt, because the front was more or less intact, expect for the strained collar. It took me a second too long to realise that the hand he was reaching out to me, was an offer to help me up. Like an idiot, I fell for the oldest trick in the book.

Except Jake didn't let me fall backwards again, like Emmett undoubtly would have. Instead, as our palms touched, he hoisted me up, and supported me against him as I inevitably toppled forwards into his supportive arms.

"I've got you," he quietly reassured me.

Combustion levels imminent! I quickly pushed myself backwards a step, and ducked my gaze with the sweep of my hand to tuck my tousled hair behind my right ear. At some point, my cap must have flown off.

"I'm… sorry I ripped your shirt." It was all I could offer right now, but apparently it was enough to trigger a barked laugh from Jake. I could feel the cold mud weighing my clothes down, but under the skin, I was burning hotter than hell.

"Not sorry enough though," Jake countered. I have the worst timing sometimes, because just as I looked up to question what he meant by that, I was greeted to the glorious sight of him peeling the spoilt material away from his body in own, swift upwards sweep.

 _HO-LY CRAP!_

My jaw dropped, and stayed that way, even after my reflexes kicked in sharply enough to catch the shirt he threw at me.

"If you're really sorry, you can get me a new one." It took me a beat to realise he was referring to the stinky shirt in my arms, and another second to realise that he was now walking backwards, away from me. "Wouldn't say no to a slice of humble pie from yours truly either."

 _Humble pie!?_

I guess confusion was written all over my face, because Jake was now grinning enough for his pearly white teeth to shine through. Before I could even think of a smartass retort though, grandma Esme came dashing over with a blanket, and Jake was turning to jog over to the guys and join in with their celebrations. I barely even registered the blanket being tossed over my shoulders, until the press of Esme's hands against my shoulders brought me crashing back down to earth.

"Trust you to go mud-diving," she lightly chuckled. Much to Aunt Rosalie's disapproval, I never really cared about getting dirty, and Esme didn't seem to mind it either, so long as she had a towel ready for me. "Come on, let's get you home and into a hot bath."

My feet were on auto-pilot, but my mind was still caught in Jacob traffic, which meant my arms hugged his shirt to my chest.

A hot bath? No way. I needed at least two buckets of ice cold water thrown over me.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 3: "Coming Clean"_


	3. Chapter 3: Coming Clean

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and shapeshifters and hopeless romance.  
_

 _A.N. Hopefully the first of two cheeky Sunday updates. Big thanks to all the people who've read/followed/favourited/reviewed so far. It's really encouraging to see that people are reading and (hopefully) enjoying the story so far. I will try my best not to leave you waiting too long for the next update!  
_

 _So without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: "Coming Clean"**

I settled for a warm shower after all, which on the contrary, managed to both steady my thoughts and soothe me in one fell swoop. Friday nights were always a 'girl's-nights-in', so I didn't need to worry about Jacob spending the evening with me. Whilst the girls usually spent the Friday night's watching a movie and chatting in the cosy living room of mom and dad's cottage; the guys either stayed at the main house, or went off hunting and probably wrestling each other. Jake meanwhile, usually spent either ran with his pack, or stayed in with his dad. I think they cracked a few beers open and watched sports together. After the events that had transpired between us today though, I don't think I could've handled another moment alone with him. I can confidently say that being a teenager _sucks_ , and if I could ask for a single birthday wish to actually come true this year, then it would be for these volatile hormones to just… settle down a little.

As I lathered my hair in peach fragranced shampoo, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to when ' _it'_ had finally happened. By 'it' I mean, the epitome of female puberty. I know, I know, the 'p' word sounds really clinical and awkward, doesn't it? Well, thanks to my vampire genes, I started my teenage growth spurt just over a year ago. Apparently I'm a 'late bloomer' though, because just when I thought it couldn't possibly happen, it did.

 _I got my damn period._

Grosse, yeah, I know - I know. It took a while for me to come to terms with it being 'natural' and 'normal' and all. You'd think that being half-vampire, I'd be okay with the sight of blood. When I was the one bleeding though, that was a whole other story. Soon after I had the nasty shock, my mom had calmed me down, and assured me that I wasn't dying or anything. Then came the awkward 'birds and the bees' talk about why it had happened, and how babies are made. I had to read a few sex-ed books to fill in all the gaps, and answer the questions I'd been too embarrassed to ask out loud. Before I knew it, Esme was baking me a damn 'congrats on your rite to womanhood' cake, and to my total embarrassment and chagrin, Carlisle said I should keep a special diary, so I'd know what I was next 'due'. I just made a habit of marking my calendar with a big red X. It was a little worrying when I skipped the next month, but eventually it was clear that this would be my body's default pattern. Grandpa Carlisle had said it probably had something to do with my vampire genes, but I'd zoned out when he went into all the biological details. On the plus side, I guess I could just about live with getting cramps only eighteen to twenty-four days a year, as opposed to forty or more.

"Does that mean she'll be able to have children some day?" A perked up Rosalie had promptly asked, probably already looking forward to the day that she could once again hold a new born baby in her arms. Carlisle theorised that I had a 50/50 probability, but due to skipping a month, this actually equated to a 25% per chance, _probably_. I definitely wasn't in any rush to start putting his theories to the test though. Still, it was a little comforting to know that the possibility was there for me, at least. If and when I ever felt ready to actually try.

Ever since that fateful day though, I'd started to lock my bedroom door more and more. Alongside reaching cup size B ( _finally_ ) and sometimes just wanting to stare in the mirror at what was starting to become my more permanent bodyshape from here on out; I was now a young woman, which meant that other people had to learn to respect my privacy and personal space. So trust Jake to have been a bit slow on the uptake! First, he'd thought that he'd ticked me off somehow. Then, I think he must have just smelt the sudden change on me, which had him acting all weird with me; like I was suddenly this delicate and easily breakable, porcelain doll. He'd even growled – actually _growled_ , when Seth had tried to arm wrestle with me. This behaviour of his carried on for two or three months, until eventually, my changing scent just became normal. Fortunately, I'm always less than keen to hang out with him when I just want to curl up into a ball and will my cramps to go away. It's a small price to pay though, when you think about the bigger picture.

Washing the soapy shampoo out of my hair, I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip. After 'becoming a young woman' as Esme had called it, the… _dreams_ had started soon after. I have a dreamcatcher above my bed, which Jake handmade to catch all my nightmares about the Volturi. The string webbing was probably full by now, but that didn't matter, because these weren't exactly _bad_ dreams – _per se_. I think the first one had been after I'd fallen asleep watching 'Dirty Dancing'. Alice _loved_ that film, but after babysitting Claire Young all day as a favour to Quil, I was practically snoring at the half way mark. Even ten year old kids are exhausting, and being a half-vampire with tons of expendable stamina, that's really saying something! I don't know how Jake always had the energy to put up with my own childish antics.

 _Anyway_.

I think I fell asleep right after the dance training montage, but it wasn't that scene that invaded my dreams. It was the much earlier scene, when Baby first walks into the dancer's club and gets all excited over their gyrating hips and obscene moves. That's the scene I was caught up in, wearing a pair of scandalous hot pants and a red and white, gingham crop top. The infamous music 'Do you love me?' by The Contours was blasting out, and then, out of nowhere, a pair of russet hands snaked around my swirling hip to splay long fingers against my bare stomach.

Now, let's get one thing straight; I definitely do _not_ know how to dance like this, but in my dream, my hips just had a mind of their own as they moved in perfect rhythm to the music. I think I must have gasped out loud, because just as that hand pulled me against a hard body, I swore I actually _felt_ an equally hard pelvis rolling and grinding against my fleshy rear. Then, just as he spun me round and dipped me all the way back, I was suddenly yanked back into the world of the conscious by the tug of Aunt Alice's hand at my arm.

"No sleeping!" She'd scolded, but for once, I was just glad that she'd woken me up. That dream had been _way_ too intense to have on the sofa whilst surrounded by my mom, my aunts and my grandma.

After that, the dreams started getting more… frequent. All I had to do was read a book before bedtime, or watch a movie, and I'd re-live the scenes in my sleep alongside my russet-skinned co-star. He was my 'Comte de Monte-Cristo', my 'Romeo' and my 'Aragorn Elessar'. I never saw his face though.

Lathering the conditioner through my hair, I sighed and corrected myself. I never saw his face, until about, three months ago? It was literally just before dad took me on an almost two month 'study vacation', I know _that_ much. Jake and I had spent the whole afternoon at La Push, along with the rest of his pack. After hunting for dinner, I'd settled down with ' _The Taming of the Shrew'_ – easily one of, if not my all-time favourite Shakespeare play. It wasn't a dream this time though. When I got to the part where Petruchio says: "Why, there's a wench! Come on and kiss me, Kate!" my brain decided to imagine Jacob as my leading actor, reciting those exact words as he suddenly yanked me close and leaned in to claim my parted lips with his.

It wouldn't have been so bad, if I hadn't been sat out on the porch, with my parents just a few feet away; re-reading the same copy of ' _Romeo and Juliet'_ in unison. Before I could properly get to the part where Jake – as _Petruchio –_ fireman lifted me up and slung me over his shoulder, I suddenly heard my dad inhale the deepest and sharpest breath in the history of all breaths he's ever inhaled purely for dramatic effect. When I finally, sheepishly dared to look up from my book, his nostrils were all flared and his eyes wide.

I guess that's just one supernatural equivalent of your parents walking in on something completely and utterly embarrassing. I guess it's also the first time I felt like a 'proper' teenager.

With a sigh, I let the conditioner sit a bit longer, as I worked on scrubbing the last remnants of mud clean from my arms and legs. The next evening following 'the shrew' event, Jake didn't come over to the house. After about seven texts, he'd finally said he had 'pack business'. I only briefly saw him for breakfast the next morning, and after that, I was whisked away to _Norway_ , of all the places in the world. Dad said I needed to focus more on my studies, especially if I wanted to eventually go to college. I still don't know what Norway had to do with me going to college, and besides; we both knew that I was already more than capable of comfortably sitting down and understanding just about any university-level lecture.

I stopped having the dreams pretty abruptly, which I think was thanks to the distraction of having to learn a new language and acclimatise myself to strange new surroundings. Jacob texted or phoned me practically every day, and I skyped him once or twice, when mom and dad went out together. He was pretty pissed with my dad for making the snap decision to take me away like that, but he just kept reiterating that he couldn't wait for me to come home. To be perfectly honest, as awesome as it was to go on a ferry ride through the Fjords and learn about Norwegian history, I couldn't wait to be home either. I never told my dad this, and it probably doesn't matter because he _could_ have just read my mind anyway but, I _swear_ I even saw Jacob's face in the crowds of Oslo, towards the end of my fourth week away.

I wish I'd inherited my mom's shielding ability, so I could stop my dad from nosing in all the damn time. When we finally came back from Norway, I eventually wound up snapping at him to just mind his own business, which is probably one of the few times I can actually thank my hormones for giving me 'mood swings' as a decent enough excuse for losing my temper with him so abruptly. Still, he'd eventually apologised, and promised he'd try to respect my privacy more in future. For the most part, he had, leaving me to deal with the inevitable return or my day and night dreams.

All musings aside, I quickly finished up in the shower, before I succumbed to slipping into a daydream right now featuring Jacob once again landing on top of me. I'd have to try to do some maths equations before bedtime, or risk the embarrassment of waking up feeling all hot and sweaty and… wound up tight.

When I was finished, I wrapped myself in a fluffy, emerald green towel. Padding into my room, I worked on very loosely blow-drying my hair with a quick blast of hot air. Then, I quickly stepped into plain pink panties before dropping my towel. I try not to be too vain, but I don't think it's a bad thing to be pleased with how I'd filled out pretty nicely over the past few months. Not that I was a curvy, voluptuous beauty like Rosalie or anything, but I'd settled at a comfortable B cup verging on C, and was pleased with how my cleavage looked in the push-up Wonderbra Alice had finally let me buy. Unless I grew a few more inches over the next few months, or filled out a bit more, then this was how I was going to be now, for the rest of my life.

Opting for a plain and comfortable t-shirt bra, I stepped into soft lilac PJ bottoms, and lifted my arms to complete the set with the matching pyjama t-shirt. The words 'camp half-blood' stretched across the chest above the icon of Pegasus from the Percy Jackson merchandise, and I laughed as I remembered it had been a gift from Emmett. He had the craziest sense of humour sometimes. All I had to do now was leave my damp hair to air dry into natural, ringlet curls, and go downstairs to join the rest of the girls.

The first thing that hit me as I opened my bedroom door wasn't the clearer sounds of Alice and Rosalie bickering over which movies we were going to watch tonight. No, it was the delicious smell of what could only be Esme's cooking. Rosalie was a close second, but she was much better at baking, whereas Esme should have been a rosette chef. I could smell freshly made dough and rich tomatoes and… at least two, strong cheeses. I'm not really all that keen on dairy in general, with one exception: _Pizza!_

I was half tempted to take a photo of the finished result and send it to Jacob, but he was probably tucking into an extra-large and extra-greasy pizza of his own right now. The kind with the really stringy cheese that just stretches on forever when you bite into it and tug. Whilst I don't always get excited about human food – especially when it contains too many vegetables, I can honestly say that Esme's cooking is more than capable of making my mouth water.

"Nessie!" Aunt Alice's voice was followed by her hand, tugging on my arm to pull me into the lounge where my mom and Rosalie sat. Mom was snug on the armchair with her nose buried in 'Wuthering Heights' for what was probably the hundredth time, whereas Rosalie sat cross-legged on the floor. Her blonde locks were wrapped around bright pink foam rollers, and judging from the assortment of nail files and polish on the coffee table, she was planning to give us all a manicure.

Alice let my arm go once I was in the room, and moved to retrieve two DVD cases from the two-seater couch, which she now held up for me. "Which should we watch first?"

I looked at the titles one by one: '27 Dresses' vs 'Pretty in Pink' vs '10 Things I Hate About You'?

 _Too easy._

"That one," I said, and tapped my finger against the late Heath Ledger's smiling face. He made a great Petruchio, but if I could recast it, I know who I'd personally pick as _my_ Petruchio.

"Ah-hah! Bella said you'd pick this one." Both Alice and I looked at my mom in unison, and she smirked to herself.

"Are you surprised that I know my own daughter?" She finally tore her eyes away from her favourite book of all time, and lifted her brows at Alice. It wasn't a challenge though, because they both just smiled, and I _hoped_ it was because they both knew the film was based on my favourite play, rather than any other gossip my dad shouldn't have been sharing with anyone.

"Not at all," Alice grinned and practically waltzed over to the DVD player. She was so light on her feet, I envied her feather-light and effortless grace sometimes. She'd tried to teach me some ballet, but while I appreciated how beautiful the artform was, I didn't share her passion and commitment to it. I'd much rather be playing the music, than dancing to it on my tippy-toes.

All thoughts of danced were suddenly neglected though, as the smell of food wafting in from the kitchen had my stomach loudly grumbling.

"Excuse you," Rosalie peered at me. " _Someone_ sounds famished."

Right on cue, Esme appeared in the doorway, holding a plate of the freshly baked pizza, which was still steaming having just come out of the oven. "This should soon solve that," she proudly said.

Rosalie pulled a face and moved to sit on the couch, so I took her place on the floor, and let Esme set the plate down on the coffee table for me.

"Enjoy." She tucked a mostly dry ringlet behind my ear affectionately, and I inhaled deep to just savour the powerful aroma of her cooking.

"Oh I will. Thank you so much Esme - this looks amazing!"

"You're very welcome."

We didn't watch the film yet though. It was still too early in the evening to settle down, even though we rarely ever sat still and watched a whole movie in complete and utter silence from start to finish. Someone - usually Rosalie - _always_ had something to say about the plot or the characters, or something _completely_ unrelated. So instead, the room was a buzz with our voices, as we caught up with each other on the things that mattered. I was just glad that the pizza gave me less of a reason to talk.

"And _then_ ," Alice stressed. "He said it would take another ten days to cancel my first order, and get the address changed over. How hard can it be to make a simple alteration?"

Rosalie dramatically gasped, purely for effect. "You mean to say we won't have your picks from Fashion Week until the beginning of _August_? Gosh, that's outrageous!"

"I KNOW!"

I heard my mom trying desperately hard not to snicker, and I almost choked on my pizza as her failed attempt had me breathing in mid-swallow. Rosalie enjoyed fashion, and so did I occasionally, but Alice took it to a whole other level.

"And I ordered the cutest little Mary Jane shoes for Renesmee's first day at school," she pined some more. Geez, she made it sound like I was being shipped off to kindergarten.

"I'm sure we can find a similar pair of… Mary Jane shoes?" My mom pulled a face that proved she really didn't care to understand the difference between a pair of shoes from Fashion Week, versus a pair of regular department shoes.

"No _Bella_ , these are _Haute Couture_ , and coming all the way from _Paris_."

"Well, is that even completely necessary, just for high school?" I think Alice was about to explode as my mom very bravely argued back. "It's a small town. Most kids will probably be wearing sneakers."

I pursed my lips, and side-glanced at Alice. I think even Rosalie was impressed by my mom right now.

" _Sneakers!?_ " For a second, the bossy pixie we all loved and adored, was utterly speechless. Then, she practically squeaked. "Nessie is _not_ wearing sneakers on her very first day."

My mom finally gave up, and after a short silence, Esme carefully changed the subject. "Well, speaking of deliveries, I had a call about the new furniture today."

For the next half hour, everyone got excited about all the new furnishings in the new house, which Esme and Rosalie had painstakingly selected to specifically fit each room. Apparently, I was going to 'absolutely fall in love' with my new bedroom. I roughly bit into my pizza and tore a huge chunk away to silently chew on. I liked my current bedroom, just as it was. The new one wouldn't house dozens of memories of dad tucking me in, or mom reading me a bedroom story, or Jake and I just chilling together, listening to music and talking about everything and anything we set our minds to. No, the new room would be stale, and bland, and empty.

"I'm sure it's great," I muttered with my mouth full. 'Great' was definitely my bland word of choice for the month.

Once I was done eating, and had washed my hands, Rosalie made us all file our nails. One of the rules of girls-night was that if someone suggested an activity, we had to go with it, even if we hated it. I could see mom struggling to push her cuticles back like Rosalie instructed, whereas Alice was already selecting which colour nail lacquer to use.

"Nessie, can I paint your nails with this?" She held up a soft dark purple colour, so I shrugged and laid my hands out flat for her.

"Okay, sure." Much to both of my aunt's annoyance, I'd probably have the nail polisher remover out by tomorrow evening.

It must have been nine o'clock by the time I was finally allowed to push the DVD in the player and hit play. We all got comfy on the sofas as we prepared to watch the movie unravel. It was a movie that even Esme could enjoy, even though I'd already made her watch it with me at least twice. Without fail, she always chuckled softly at 'Ms Perky' and her erotic novel.

"Just to forewarn you Renesmee," Rosalie was the first to speak up as we were introduced to Stadium High School in Tacoma. "This is actually a _very_ accurate depiction of American High School. Isn't that right Alice?"

Ah – I'd almost forgotten again, about going to High School. I turned my head to regard my other aunt, but kept my eyes pinned to the screen, trying to listen to Cameron's new friend point out the jocks from the geeks. I loved the movie intro where it set the scene and introduced all the major characters, so trust Rose to spoil it!

"Ugh, it _was_ in the 19 _90_ 's maybe," Alice corrected. "But I wouldn't be caught dead-again in those pleated skirts now!" And trust Alice to pick up on the '90's fashion.

"I think she means the _social_ groups," my mom came to the rescue. "That definitely hasn't changed much."

Just like _I_ still liked to imagine Jacob as the school rebel, otherwise known as 'Patrick Verona' – he even shared his love for shop class, rock music and beat up old cars.

 _Cameron: "I burn, I pine, I perish!"  
Michael: "Of course you do."_

I practically swooned at Cameron's adorable line, whereas Rosalie, of all people, snorted. "For once, I couldn't agree more with the geek. Who even _says_ that at high school?"

" _Eckman_ ," I corrected her instantly. "His _name_ is Michael Eckman, and it's a quote from the actual play: _Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio, if I achieve not this young modest girl_."

I could practically feel my mom's proud smile beaming down at me as I stood up for the 'undesirable' character and recited Shakespeare word for word, but a slightly less impressed Rosalie sighed.

"Why do I have the horrible feeling that you're going to follow in your mother's nerd-patrol footsteps?"

"Hey," my mom chipped in with a light frown. "For one, there's nothing nerdy about Shakespeare, and secondly, I hung out with the cool kids."

"You mean immature _bratwursts_." I actually had to give it to Rosalie for managing to squeeze in a movie reference there.

"No, _teenagers_ ," my mom corrected "Weren't _you_ a teenager once?"

"In _my_ time, you went from a being girl straight to being a woman. There was no 'in-between' stage."

"Okay!" Alice cut in before it escalated any further. "Back to the movie."

By the time we got to the halfway mark, Rosalie had easily remarked on about a dozen things, and my mom had sneakily re-opened her favourite novel to the bookmarked page. Eventually, Rosalie seemed to be more enthralled by staring at her dried nails, and I was too busy swooning over Patrick to scold either of them. That's where Alice always came in.

"Come _on_ you two! This is supposed to be girl's night in, not a snore-fest!"

Which was funny since I was the only one in the room who was even capable of genuinely snoring, not that I ever did. Despite my earlier relief to be away from Jake though, I was actually starting to wish that I was with _him_ right now instead, wherever he was. It was half tempting to text him, but Alice would virtually kill me if she caught me in the act. Besides, I think I'd left my phone upstairs, like a total idiot. So instead, as the movie unravelled, I kept a mental list of all the inspirational scenes I wanted to re-enact with Jake some day:

1\. Go to a rock gig _(leather pants optional);  
_ 2\. Get him to _finally_ teach me how to drive _(with or without my dad's permission);  
_ 3\. Go paint balling _(and kick his butt);  
_ 4\. Go to graduation prom _(so long as I survived high school);  
_ 5\. Dance together at prom _(conditional to #4)._

With the movie finally rolling to a conclusion, and my list pretty full already, there was only one sure-way to escape the torment of having to sit through the next DVD on Alice's playlist. I had to fall asleep.

Easier said than done with four vampires in the room who can hear my heartbeat, so I slowed my breath down and closed my eyes. Eventually, the sounds of the closing credits became little more than background noise to me, as I managed to very lightly snooze. Nowhere near a deep sleep, but I was calm and still enough to look like I was out for the count. Really though, I was just trying to imagine what Jake would look like with Heath's shoulder length hair, tied back in a ponytail, or maybe even a man bun. I mentally crinkled my nose at the thought. Whilst Billy Black had let me see a few rare photos of a younger Jake with his longer hair, I think I preferred him with the slightly shorter cut. Especially when it was all messy and pointing in various directions, like he'd just rolled out of bed and not bothered to even put a comb through it. That look was my favourite.

"Shhh," Esme's perpetually maternal voice soothed. Rosalie and Alice were bickering about the movie soundtrack, but they soon calmed down as the family matriarch spoke up. "I think she's asleep."

"Aww!" Alice cooed, but more so out of frustration. "But we've only watched one out of the three movies, and it's only eleven o'clock."

"It's been a long day," my mom instantly came to my defence. I tried my hardest not to smile. "We should let her get some rest."

"Indeed," Esme chipped in. "There's always next week."

So as I felt my shoulder being gently shaken, I groaned and slowly opened my eyes to see Esme smiling down at me. Mom was already getting up to turn the TV off, and with a sigh, Alice disappeared into the kitchen to start clearing up.

"Do you want to go up to bed?" Grandma Esme asked me, and I rubbed my eyes a bit.

"Mm… did the movie finish already?" I deserved an Oscar for this performance.

"Yes honey," she very lightly chuckled. "You've been out for the count for a while now, I think."

"I guess I am really sleepy," I lied.

"Go on up to bed." Leaning in, Esme planted a kiss on my cheek. "Goodnight sweetie."

I said goodnight to mom and Rosalie next, and then went into the kitchen for Alice to give me a tight hug. "Sweet dreams Nessie."

Oh, I'm pretty sure they would be, whether I willed it or not.

I was genuinely starting to drift off, when mom finally peeked around my bedroom door to check on me awhile later. Everyone had stayed downstairs to chat for a little while longer, mostly about the house move, so I'd closed my door but left it slightly ajar. It only really helped to muffle their voices a little bit, and I didn't want to shut mom out when she inevitably came to check on me. I was too big to be carried upstairs and tucked in now, like they used to when I was smaller, but some old habits never die young. When my dad eventually came home, he'd probably check in on me too. Sometimes, he'd still carry me up if I fell asleep downstairs.

Just before my mom turned to leave though, my eyes fluttered open, and I called out to her. "Mom?"

She instantly turned back. "Yes sweetie?"

"Can we… talk a while?"

"Of course, always." I could feel her reassuring – or was it a slightly relieved? – smile in the dark. Soon enough, she was moving to sit down on the bed beside me. The lamp switched on, flooding part of the room in subtle light. I rolled onto my side to face her, but instead of sitting down to talk to me, she suddenly pulled a grossed out face, and then inhaled deeply.

"Renesmee, why does it smell like... _really_ wet dog in here?"

 _Uh oh_. I'd forgotten about Jake's torn shirt! I'd tossed it on my desk chair before jumping in the shower, and then just got used to having his comforting scent in my room. Following her nose though, mom didn't wait for me to formulate her answer. She'd already found the source of the smell, just as I abruptly sat up.

"Is this -?" She lifted the baseball shirt off my chair, and let it unfold. A half-surprised, half-anxious laugh escaped her frowning mouth. "Why do you have Jake's shirt in your room?"

"I… was gonna see if I could... mend it?" I outright lied, and her lifted brows were a sign that she didn't buy it. After all, the entire back was torn in half, which she presented to me now as she turned the material around.

"I don't really think this rip is mendable." Shaking her head with a slightly exasperated chuckle, she dropped the t-shirt back on my chair, and finally came to sit with me. "Ok, so stinky t-shirt aside; what did you want to talk about?"

Sinking down a little so that my back sunk against the pillows, I pursed my lips a second to gather my thoughts. Stopping her had been fairly impromptu, but I'd hardly spent any time with her today, and after my talk with Jacob earlier, I knew that I needed to come clean with my parents, at least.

"It's just… I've been thinking, a lot - about leaving Forks." She made a 'hmm?' sound, as I paused to gulp down a bated breath. The words got stuck in my throat, so I had to take a moment before I just forced them out. "Do we really have to move next week?" There, I'd said it, and the rest just flowed naturally from brain to tongue. "I _know_ that we'll have to leave here eventually, but can't we wait another week or two? Or… another month even? I just – I really don't feel ready yet... to leave Forks. It's… our _home_."

"Oh honey…" I heard her sigh – a very human trait, which she'd refused to completely neglect. As a vampire, she didn't even need to breathe, but she did. She said it helped when it came to fitting in with humans, if she didn't have to think about keeping a plausible rhythm going. Fortunately, I didn't have that problem. My lungs needed regular oxygen, and like my heart needed to pump blood around my system; it just did it a little more rapidly than a human heart.

"I knew you'd been struggling with the move," mom admitted to me. "And I'm so glad that you're finally talking to me about it." Because it wasn't like she hadn't tried to coax me into talking, and the conversations tonight had felt like another attempt from the rest of my family. "I know leaving like this isn't easy, for any of us."

"I just... didn't see the point in talking about it, before." I in turn, admitted my fairly brutal opinion. "I mean, you'd all agreed on the decision and made the arrangements, so that was that."

There was sadness in her golden-amber eyes, as she looked down at her fidgeting hands. Everyone said I had my mom's eyes, but they didn't just mean the colouring – before she'd been turned. Apparently, we shared the same emotive glances that always conveyed what we were thinking behind our silent expression. Right now, I could see that my mom was feeling guilty, which is why I sat up.

"It's not your fault mom," I tried to reassure her. "Please don't blame yourself."

"No," she stubbornly shook her head. "You're right, we should have given you a choice rather than force the decision on you." Then, she looked at me with a sudden resolve that had me frowning with curiosity. "Renesmee, do you _want_ to stay here, in Forks?"

I thought that was an easy question to answer, and my immediate reaction was yes! Of course I wanted to stay in Forks. But then, the second I stopped to actually think beyond my own selfishness, the more I was torn in two directions. "If I say yes, will everyone stay with me?"

Mom slowly shook her head. "No, sweetie. We can't stay."

That drasically changed things, and it was my turn to sadly stare down, as I admitted defeat. "Then… no. I don't want to stay in Forks. Not if you're not here with me."

I've read novels about teenagers who think that they're ready to leave home as soon as they're eighteen – 'The Catcher in the Rye', for example. Unlike the rebellious Holden Caulfield though, I'd only spent six years with my family. Right now, in this moment, those six years didn't feel like enough time. Not when my dad had been with the family for around ninety years, travelling from one play to the next like the loyal, first son. I wanted to still be as close to my family in ninety years, as I was now. Drastic and sudden change wasn't an option.

"Then, what if –" I looked up, studying my mom as she paused to bite her lower lip. I knew it meant that she's spoken up before finishing her thought trail. I did that a lot too. "What _if_ , we reached a compromise? We'll still have to move as planned but, maybe you could stay behind, for one extra day?"

My jaw slowly dropped.

"And," she continued, having thought of something extra. "You could be in charge of planning out our last week, if you like? We can all spend time some time with you, just doing whatever it is you want to do."

Was my mom really suggesting this? Would I really be allowed to delay leaving Forks, in exchange for one whole, extra day!? Was she really trusting me to be alone in the house?

Well, not entirely alone, I suddenly realised. There was no way Jake would let me stay behind on my own.

Was she really trusting me to stay behind, with Jake?!

No way! Dad would hit the roof.

"And... Carlisle and Emmett will probably have to stay behind too, just to make sure everything we need to leave behind goes into storage properly."

Oh… okay, well that threw a spanner in the works. I guess mom didn't trust me to be alone with Jacob after all, but that didn't really bother me so much. If spending an extra day in Forks meant that Carlisle and Emmett had to babysit me, then that was a fair enough trade-off. There was only one other potential condition though –

"But, what about dad?" My shoulders slumped. "He won't like it." Even with Carlisle and Emmett here, he'd probably want to keep his eyes and ears on Jake and I personally. Mom just smiled, like she'd actually just read my mind on dad's behalf.

"Let me deal with that."

I couldn't hold myself back anymore, so I just threw my arms around my mom, and pulled her into a tight, utterly grateful hug. "Thank you so much!"

Mom squeezed back, and then pulled back to playfully and affectionate brush her knuckles against my chin. "Just, don't mention anything to anybody. Not until I've cleared things over with your father first."

"I won't," I practically crossed my heart. "I won't say a word, promise."

Sitting back, I breathed a sigh of joy mixed with relief, and literally fell back onto my pillow. One more day in Forks! There was no way I was sleeping now; not when I had an itinerary to start planning of all the places I wanted to properly say goodbye to over the coming week. Maybe some baking with Rosalie on Monday and then music with dad on Tuesday and family hunting on Wednesday night.

Oh, but there was one last thing I _needed_ to negotiate –

"Hey mom?" She'd only just stood up, but she immediately paused to give me her undivided attention again.

"Mm?"

"Can I ask just _one_ more favour? _Please_?"

Her frown told me that it had to be within reason, and so I crossed my fingers and toes that it was.

"Could you… _not_ tell Jacob, about the plan? And, tell dad not to too? I really want to be the one to surprise him." I already couldn't wait to see his reaction after I gave him the good news. He was seriously going to freak out - in a good way.

"Mm… okay," she surprisingly agreed without much hesitation. "No telling Jacob."

 _YES!_

"You really are the best mom _ever_."

She laughed at that, and nervously tucked some hair behind her ear, a lot like I did. I know she hadn't exactly planned to be a mother, but I _do_ know that she'd selflessly accepted her predicament, and the little monster growing so fast in her belly. Sometimes, it still frustrated and gnawed at me a little; that I'd actually managed to cause her pain whilst she was pregnant. I never, ever wished my mom to feel any pain like that, ever again.

"Try to get some sleep sweetie," she said, turning off the lamp as further encouragement. I heard the door creak shut, and closed my eyes. Sleep was a long way off though, as my mind whirled with ecstatic and erratic thoughts, but for now; I was perfectly contented.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 4: "Politics in Motion"_


	4. Chapter 4: Politics in Motion

_Disclaimer : I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance.  
_

 _ **A.N**. Soooo... the second sunday update didn't happen... sorry about that! Thanks to a whole bunch of reasons, like researching the Quileute language and finding it virtually impossible to find a source of traditional names; this chapter inevitably took a lot longer to write than I originally planned. The whole chapter evolved at least twice, and the word count kept on growing, so the whole 'scene' if you like, had to be split in half. ___That also meant changing the original title ('Fireside Frolics') to fit the overarching theme._ Blame the wolves and their attention seeking muses.  
_

 _On an entirely different note, I've been asked what 'grosse' means. Basically, it's my (mis-)spelling of 'gross'. I have no idea if that's how we Brits spell it, or if I've just been spelling it wrong ever since I was 16, but there you go. Question answered ^.^  
_

 _Anyway, it's way past 3am for me, and I'm half-asleep, but I'll endeavour to continue tomorrow :)  
_

 _In the meantime, without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 4: "Politics in Motion"**

I didn't wait for my parents to confirm that it was okay for me spend one extra day in Forks. On top of the fact that I didn't sleep well – which for once _hadn't_ been thanks to certain dreams – I was wide awake before sunrise on Saturday morning, putting all my thoughts and ideas down onto paper:

 _ ***~Saturday~***_ _  
Shopping with Aunt Alice in Port Angeles  
History lessons with Grandpa Carlisle  
Read a book with mom (her choice) before bedtime_

 _ ***~Sunday~***_ _  
Bake 'humble pie' for Jake  
Help Grandma Esme with the gardening  
Paint command and conquer figurines with Jasper  
Bonfire at La Push_

 _ ***~Monday~***_  
 _Baking with Aunt Rosalie  
Dressmaking with Aunt Alice  
Play chess/video games with Emmett_  
 _Read a book with dad (his choice) before bedtime_

 _ ***~Tuesday~***_  
 _Spend the whole day & evening with Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue_

 _ ***~Wednesday~***_  
 _Music with dad  
"The Last Supper"  
Family time_

 _ ***~Thursday~***_  
 _Moving day  
Cook dinner for Jacob and Billy  
Last night at La Push with Black Pack_

 _ ***~Friday~*  
**_ _…_

I must have stared at the word 'Friday' for a long hard hour, before I finally reached the conclusion that it was better off left completely blank. The majority of my life spent in Forks had been spontaneous and organic, so that's how I wanted my last day to be. It would be the one day that wouldn't be structured. Just me, and Jacob; doing whatever it was we wanted to do as the mood took us there. I'd quite happily spend part the day in his shed, fixing up a car or bike, if that's what he wanted.

So far, everything was going to plan according to my schedule, which I'd pinned to the kitchen fridge. There weren't any set times to follow, just specific events that we had to tick off before each day was over. Alice said it was a great idea, but then my list eventually got sabotaged as she started to add to it with her own requests. Before long, Rosalie followed suit, and my days were looking more and more crowded.

"Nice going Nessie," a less than impressed Emmett had groaned now that his name repeated about dozen times on the list. Rosalie had gotten a little carried away, to say the least.

Emmett wasn't the only unimpressed vampire in the family though. Mom had shared her idea with the family after Saturday morning's breakfast, and although they approved in the majority, my dad had a serious case of stink eye during the whole discussion. I think – no, _I know_ – that it always boiled down to the fact that Alice couldn't see into my future. My decisions were my own to make, and the consequences of those choices were for everyone to eventually find out. I can't resent my dad for his over-protectiveness though, because I know that it's just a product of his unconditional love for me.

 _I just wish he'd learn to lighten up a little._

Sunday rolled around pretty fast, and Jake joined us for breakfast, before I shooed him out. I still hadn't told him about our extra day in Forks, and I didn't trust Emmett to keep his mouth shut either, without dropping some kind of ridiculously obvious 'hint'. Jake had been a little perplexed by my urgency to get him out the house, since we hadn't seen each other for over 24hours. I'd be spending the whole evening with him tonight though, so that made up for the time we'd spent apart and reassured him that everything was okay. In the end, I told him that I had a busy day ahead. What I neglected to tell him, was that I needed to spend the rest of the morning baking that 'humble pie' he'd asked for.

Correction: I'd spend it getting more flour on myself than in the actual pastry mix. In the end, Esme came to the rescue, and we somehow managed to salvage the mixture. I guess humble pie really does starve the ego and nourish the soul.

Then, I spent most of the afternoon getting covered in soil as I helped Esme pot her favourite plants to take with us to West Virginia. The rest were just tended to one last time, before nature would take its course. I had a scary thought that when we eventually returned to Forks, the house would probably be derelict and overgrown with weeds and wild flowers. I'm fairly certain that Esme would be hiring a multitude of groundskeepers to keep everything in order.

Unlike yesterday, which had been the perfectly cloudy day for Alice to come with me to Port Angeles; today was brilliantly sunny. So once I'd showered away all the dirt, I managed to spent some time just lying out in the sun with my dog-eared copy of 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' to keep me company. I only just got to the part where Dorian rejects Sybil, when Jasper leaned out the second floor window and called me back into the house. He'd dedicated a corner in his study for his table top wargames, so we spent a lot of time meticulously and carefully painting his newest figurines and placing them on the table. Since the models were so small, even Jasper took his time painting them; making sure he filled in as many details as possible. I always tried my best to replicate, but I don't think my patience is quite up to par with his.

When Alice finally came to 'relieve me from active duty,' I had some time to read a few more chapters of Dorian Grey, before it was time to start getting ready. Jacob always arrived between seven and half seven on a Sunday evening, and then he'd drive me out to La Push for the fireside gathering. Usually the two packs were there, along with Emily and Billy, and occasionally some of the other tribe members from the reservation. Mostly they just took turns telling stories, sharing food around the circle, singing songs and toasting marshmallows. Every now and then, the guys would end up throwing someone in the ocean – usually Seth or Quil. Jacob hadn't been too happy when Embry and Paul had picked me up between them and thrown me in the pure black water… but I'd found it hilarious. Although, going home with soaking wet clothes and having to explain it to my dad, hadn't been so amusing. Neither was sitting in Jake's car whilst he silently stewed over losing his temper with the guys over something so trivial.

"Are you out of your mind!? The water's freezing!" He'd practically barked at them after fishing me out the water. In his defence, April probably wasn't the best time of the year to take a midnight swim in the North Pacific Ocean. In my defence though, it's not like I'll ever get sick from a bit of cold water.

I didn't plan on going swimming tonight, but I wouldn't mind a stroll along the beach, if we got the chance. With that in mind, I picked my faded denim, dungaree shorts from the closet, and paired them with a simple, short sleeved, light grey t-shirt underneath. Shoving the new t-shirt I'd bought for Jake yesterday in my khaki rucksack, I suddenly remembered the 'humble pie' too. If I didn't go get it now, I'd probably forget later. So, dashing downstairs to retrieve it from the fridge, I cut a less-than humble slice, and put it in a seal-tight container. Back upstairs again, I sat at my dressing table, and pulled a face. Dad didn't really like me wearing make-up, but Alice kept sneaking all sorts of colourful tubes and palettes in my room. I'd practiced a bit, but mostly I just liked to wear subtle lip gloss. Besides, I didn't really do anything or go anywhere that I felt required a lot of make-up. Even when Charlie finally got over his cold feet for weddings and married Sue Clearwater last year, it wasn't the kind of occasion to go 'all out' with vibrant colours and thick eyelashes. Even Rosalie and Alice had kept their make-up neutral, much to mom's relief too.

Pressing my shiny pink lips together, I was in the process of deciding whether I should leave my hair down or tie it back, when I heard two very distinct and opposing voices approaching from outside.

"- And you'll have her back here by midnight."

I scoffed at my dad's house rules, and reminded myself that I couldn't wait to stay up as late as I wanted to on Thursday night, when he'd be halfway to West Virginia, but I'd still be in Forks.

"Would you lighten up? It's not like this is the first time she's coming to the res." That was definitely Jacob, sounding as irate as ever.

"But it _is_ her last. I don't want her getting carried away, thinking she can stay out 'til dawn. And I don't want you to encourage her either."

"You know she can probably hear this whole conversation…"

Oh Jake… you should've known that nothing is ever a coincidence when it comes to my dad.

"Why do you think I made sure to have it here?"

There was a smugness in my dad's voice that was bound to rub Jake the wrong way.

" _Figures_." On cue, I heard him heave a heavy sigh, and I could imagine him rolling his eyes at my dad before he roughly continued. "Okay, _fine_. I'll make sure she's home by midnight. Can I go get her now?"

"Thank you, Jacob." Dad must have just nodded his approval, because a few seconds later, I heard Jake's heavy footsteps on the stone path. Putting my book down, I grabbed my rucksack, and I was at the top of the cottage stairs by the time he was through the front door.

"Hey," I smiled down at him.

"Hey," he casually echoed back. I could tell he was still pissed with my dad, from the way that he lifted a hand to rub at what was probably a tight knot in the back of his thick neck. Looking me up and down with the quick flick of his eyes, I put one hand on my hip as I stared down at him.

"You heard that?" He curtly asked.

"Yup." Walking down the stairs then, I hopped down from the last step, and gave a little giggle. "I feel like you should be driving me in a pumpkin carriage."

Digging his hands in his jeans pockets, Jake lightly smirked back as he caught the reference. "Cindernessie _will_ go to La Push, huh?"

Moving to the door, I yanked it open. "Damn right she will."

A grinning Jake reached up to hold the door for me, and once I'd ducked under his arm, he followed.

"Where are you parked?" I asked, turning round to walk backwards so I could see him as we talked. His eyes darted suspiciously around the treeline ahead of us, and he kept his voice fairly low.

"Not far, but a lil' farther than usual…" When he saw my frown, he just frowned back. "I'll explain when we get there."

 _O-kay_ , because _that_ didn't sound at all cryptic. Picking up the pace with bigger strides of his longer legs, I found myself skipping in my step every now and then just to keep up with him.

"So, what did you do today?" He asked, his voice a little strained.

"Jake -?"

He abruptly stopped, and I very nearly bumped into him, which was enough to interrupt my question. His tone was completely serious though, as he semi-explained himself. "Nessie, _please_. I need you to keep me distracted right now, so just… answer the question."

 _Okay Mr. Bossy-Boots._

"Some gardening with grandma Esme, and then Jasper and I painted some of his war figurines." I explained, sparing him the details and leaving out the baking part of my day. He was silent though as he pressed on through the woodlands, so I kept on talking, just to fill the awkward gap. "Then I did some sunbathing and started to re-read a book – Oscar Wilde's Dorian Grey."

"Yeah? What's that one about?"

By the time I'd finished explaining the plot to him, I felt like we were already half-way to La Push by foot alone. Was that his plan all along?

"Jake!" I huffed, and stopped, standing my ground and folding my arms. "What's going on?"

"Just a little bit farther, Nessie." He softened his voice a little, so my worried frown inevitably straightened out a little. "I promise it'll all make sense once we're there."

"Okay…"

I couple of yards more, and I could see grey tarmac through the thinning gaps in the trees. Leaning against one, strong pine tree though, and part concealed by a bush, was a vehicle that definitely wasn't the usual red, 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit.

My eyes must have widened into saucers as I finally figured out what he'd been hiding from me, and I practically squealed as my voice rose an octave with each word. "You brought the _Harley_!?"

"Shh!" He grabbed my wrist a little roughly, and turned his head to look back at the trees we'd just walked past. "Do you want _you-know-who_ to hear?"

Ah… So this was why he'd needed me to distract him with my rambling? So he didn't slip up and think about his Harley Sprint, parked by the roadside? He'd been wise not to, because my dad would kill him if he knew.

"I _really_ don't think he's bothered about following us." I quirked my brow and tried not to laugh at how cautious Jake was being. It made me feel like I was sneaking out for the night, and that was pretty exciting considering it was hard to do anything without the rest of the family knowing about it.

"Yeah well…" Jake sighed, and loosened his grip on my wrist. "I wouldn't put it past him."

Biting my lower lip as I watched him move over to the bike, and start wheeling it out onto the road, I cast my own weary glance behind me. _Dad, you better not be following us_ , I echoed Jake's sentiment, before quickly moving over to him.

"The Rabbit's engine's acting up," he explained before I had chance to ask. "I tried to fix it, but didn't have enough time to raid the junk yard for the part that I need. This is the best I could do at such short notice." Swinging his leg over the seat then, he ignited the engine with the flick of his thumb, and revved it a bit to get it going.

Did I mention that Jake on a motorbike is one of the… the single most… _hottest_ things I've ever seen? Patrick Verona _move over_. It's like he was born to sit on that leather seat in his slightly ripped and scuffed up jeans and sleeveless, simple black top. I had to purse my lips together to stop myself from swooning out loud, especially when he cast his smouldering dark eyes at me.

"Did you forget your glass slippers or something?"

Oh geez… breathe, Nessie, _breathe_.

Looking down at my feet, I lifted a heel to inspect my ankle-high red converse, and then tucked a ringlet curl behind my ear as I looked back at Jake. "Glass slippers are _so_ 16th century."

Forcing my feet to finally move towards the smirking, big bad wolf, I put my hands on the back of the black leather seat and carefully swung my right leg over. There was no way I looked as cool as Jacob mounting the bike, and now that I was sitting behind him, I realised that there was only enough room on the seat for a very slight gap to exist between his ass, and my… erm… _crotch_. Even with that small gap, my knees were already tucked behind his.

"You good?" He looked over his shoulder, and I quickly nodded. "Okay, just hold on tight to me, 'kay? Edward will tear me a new one if you fall off."

He waited for me to hesitantly plant my hands on his sides, and felt him tense slightly under my light touch. The engine revved one more time, and then, I was suddenly jerked backwards in the seat as the bike sprinted forwards. My heart leapt in my throat as I closed my eyes and squealed like a total moron, and my arms instinctively moved to cling tightly around Jake's torso. Without planning to or even thinking about it, my chest leaned in against his back, and my thighs brushed against his as I slid down the seat to inevitably close the gap between our lower bodies a fraction more. The bike picked up speed, and the breeze tore through my loose hair, teasing out my ringlets into looser, wind-swept waves in a fiery trail behind me.

"You okay back there?" He asked, sounding a little bit worried. On the contrary though, I now had the courage to lift my cheek from his back, and lean my torso back a little so I take a good look at the landscape whizzing past us along the Highway 101 S. The sun had pretty much gone down already, but there was still an orange glow lingering on the horizon, as the last rays of sunlight still gently touched the landscape. Forks was so pretty at sunset, especially in the Summer and Fall.

"This is so awesome Jacob!" I raised my voice so he could hear me over the bike and the whirling zephyrs thrashing against us from the opposite direction. I felt the vibrations of his chuckle, and smiled to myself as I leaned in to rest my cheek on his back again. This was definitely the perfect way to spend my last Sunday evening in Forks.

With Jake's driving, we managed to speed down the main highway route in just about fifteen minutes, and then I was greeted by the ocean sprayed air as we pulled to a stop near the beach. It was then just a quick walk down some rocky steps, towards the beach itself. A tall bonfire had already been lit, and I could just about make out the figures of Seth, Quil, and Embry, running away from a screaming Clare Young. Judging from her ear-piercing squeal as she chased after them, I figured they were playing tag, and she was currently 'it'. Jake dug his hands in his pockets again as he walked beside me, watching them. Quil seemed to stop and bend forwards with his hands on his knees, as if he was out of breath. It gave Clare chance to tag him, and then run away, screaming again. I huffed a laugh at how Quil had so obviously let Clare catch him – the pack had bundles of energy, and a ten-year old human didn't have a hope in hell trying to run with them. It reminded me of how Jake used to let me win when I was Clare's proportional age. Turning to look at him, I wondered if his fond smile meant that he was recalling those memories too?

"There you are!" A female voice caught my attention, and as I looked over to the bonfire, I saw Emily Uley waving over to us with her spare arm. Her other arm was currently holding onto her firstborn child – a son, whom she and Sam had called Isaac. It didn't take long for everyone to just start calling him 'Zac' for short though. He was still only six months old, and it suddenly occurred to me that I wouldn't get to see him grow up. I made a mental note to hold him at least three times tonight.

When we made it to the campsite, Jake moved to bro-hug Sam, whilst I went straight to Emily. I didn't realise why she was staring at me like I'd grown a pair of horns, until she suddenly laughed outright. "Nessie, you look like you've been dragged through a bush!"

 _What!?_ Frantically patting a hand over my hair, I realised it was sticking out all over the place, not to mention all tangled up. To make matters worse, Emily looked back and forth between Jacob and I, and her brows seemed to lift higher and higher as she probably reached a completely inaccurate conclusion. I flushed pink.

"Oh! Jake's car broke down," I quickly explained. "So we got here his on his Harley instead."

"Oh my…" Emily gave me a concerned, mothering look. "Wasn't that dangerous? Especially the way he drives…"

 _No,_ I thought to myself. _It was totally and utterly awesome, and I'd do it again in a half-vamp heartbeat!_

"What's wrong with the way I drive?" Jake suddenly cut in, pausing his bro-talk with Sam to glare at Emily.

"What's _right_ with the way you drive," she countered rhetorically with a chuckle. A deeply-chuckling Sam moved over to me then, and slapped his palm against my back.

"Welcome, Nessie."

"Thanks, Sam." I smiled back, and then watched as the Uley Pack Alpha moved to sit with his wife. She carefully handed him the baby to hold, then sighed as she stood up and moved towards me.

"C'mon Ness, there's plenty of food to heat up now that the fire's going strong. Jake –?" She turned to stop him from just parking his butt on a log and reaching for a beer bottle from the nearest cooler. "Would you help Paul bring the rest of the coolers over?"

"Sure thing."

Between a quick catch-up, Emily and I managed to unload one picnic basket of foil wrapped baking trays, which we placed near the fire to stay warm. Just when I thought we had enough food though, Leah strolled down from the car park, carrying another two large picnic baskets in each hand. She gave me one of her forced half-smiles, before making her way back up the hill. It was obvious that she just about tolerated me, but I'd never quite figured out why she was so… _cold_. Jake always defended her by saying she was like that with everyone, and that I shouldn't take it personally or anything. I found it hard not to though, when she never gave me chance to even _try_ to be her friend. I hit a brick wall every time.

Eventually, the cars were unloaded, and Embry, Quil, Seth and Clare joined the circle that was forming around the fire. Billy Black was one of the last to join us, wheeling himself over in a chair that Jake had altered specifically for the beach. It had thicker wheels, and was just generally sturdier. Like a dutiful son, Jacob cracked open a beer, and moved to meet his dad halfway. Emily was sharing a story about another case of missing muffins from her home, but I was only half listening. It was difficult to focus on anything else when Jake showed acts of respectful humility like that, and I never got tired of seeing him around his father. His behaviour always altered a little, but he was still the Jacob that I knew underneath it all.

There were a lot of separate conversations buzzing around, as everyone got settled around the campfire. Usually, Jared and his girlfriend - a really pretty local Quileute girl called Kim – would be sat together in their own bubble; holding hands and talking quietly to each other. Unfortunately Kim had to work late, so she couldn't be with us tonight. Without her there to reign Jared in and keep him occupied, he was being particularly boisterous with the guys. Poor Seth had already walked into two bets that would probably see his monthly allowance completely emptied from his pockets by the end of the night.

Just as I was getting bored enough to start drawing shapes in the pebbles and sand with a piece of driftwood, I _finally_ got to hold baby Zac. It's actually amazing how heavy babies are, not that he weighed a ton in my arms but, I could still feel the weight. He also had a really strong grip, as he tugged on my messy hair and out right laughed at me as I feigned a pained frown. I pulled a face and stuck my tongue out at him, which had him making gurgling noises. It was so weird to think that at his age, I'd already looked like a three year old, and was starting to read. I definitely wasn't suddenly crying my eyes out for no apparent reason, like Zac was now. Thankfully, Emily was there to take him back in her arms, which eventually calmed him down again after some back rubbing and gentle cooing. Geez, babies are fine to hold for a while, but I wouldn't want to be in Emily's shoes right now. It was nice to be able to give the baby back to her and feel my arms freed up again.

"What did you do, Ness? Bare your fangs at him?" Apparently Jared was bored of picking on Seth, so now he turned his teasing on me. He didn't even bother to pay attention to Jake's warning glare, which was fine by me. I can fight my own verbal battles, thank you very much.

"I'm pretty sure he glanced over at _you_ before he started wailing at me," I taunted back. Embry snorted, whereas Seth beamed brightly.

"Ooooh _burn_!"

"Shut up, _Seth_. Remember, that was you a couple'a years ago, except you were fatter, and ten times more annoying."

"Was not!"

"Was too," Jared stressed with an impish grin. "You ate so much, we had to start feeding you like this -" And then, all I saw next was a lump of food being flung over at Seth's face. "Just to give you a work out."

It was a dumb joke, but I couldn't help but smile at the way Seth dodged the food projectile, only to fall backwards against the sand. A quick glance at Jake, and he was half smirking, half shaking his head; like daddy-wolf watching over his energetic pups.

"At least he's out of his diapers now." A serious Leah came to the defence her brother, but her tone cut the playful mood short. "Which is more than what I can say about you, _Jared_." He tried to just laugh it all, but Leah wasn't done yet. "I'm amazed Kim actually agreed to marry a man who still acts like a child."

Well that did it. The playful atmosphere flipped over instantly, as a low growl resonated in Jared's tightening jaw.

"You really wanna go there Leah?" His glare was fixed, and slowly, all the other conversations around the circle died down to the sound of Jared's raising voice. "Because an easy ten bucks says you won't like it if I bit back."

" _Enough_." Thankfully, Sam's superior, deep alpha voice cut in before the joke-turned-argument could escalate any further, and even Jake shot Leah a warning look to back down before she regretted the consequences of her flippant words. For once, I was actually on Jared's side. Ever since he'd proposed to Kim, he'd been working really hard to secure the funds so they could get married, even though it was clear to everyone that she was just happy to be wearing the silver engagement band. Whilst I understood Leah's need to defend her brother against Jared's teasing, I don't think she was any better for bringing Kim into the equation.

The fire crackled loudly as both Jared and Leah were reduced to silence, and aside from Emily's cooing as she cradled the gurgling baby Zac, a thin blanket of tension still lingered over the camp. I looked wearily back and forth between Jared and Leah, and caught Seth doing the same. We were both probably wondering if either of them were going to disobey their alpha and voice the retort they were no doubt stewing over. Seeing Sam fuss over Emily and the baby though, like nothing else mattered right now, I glanced over to Jake, and selfishly wished he was sitting by me instead of his dad. Instead, I had Embry for company on one side, and Seth on the other. Embry was a nice guy, but a little shy and reserved, so the conversation didn't flow so easily between us; not like it did with Jake.

At long last, after what had really only been a few bated breaths of silence, the wise Billy Black spoke up. "They say a man is at his youngest when he thinks he is a man, not yet realizing that his actions must show it."

His voice commanded attention, but his dark eyes calmly stared into the flames of the bonfire as he took his time to share his wisdom. Things were still a little awkward between Billy, my grandpa Charlie, and Sue Clearwater, and sometimes, when Billy looked at me, there was a certain sternness in his eyes that almost felt to me like distrust. I still enjoyed his 'story time' though, even when he so openly referred to my kind as the 'pale faces' and the 'cold ones'; often painting them as the enemy.

"When his father passed, first son Tawa Uta thought himself a man. He sought to claim the chief title by proof of his name alone, like it was owed to him as his rite of passage. He was nothing more than a boy wearing his father's greatness."

"But the tribe shunned him, and drove him away; crowning another, worthier man as their leader. The seasons quickly turned, and Tawa Uta faced the cold winter alone. Finally, he learnt to listen to the voice of his father, and his father's father. He carved his spear, and built strong shelter. By day he hunted, and by night, he reflected on the boy that he was, and the man that he was yet to be."

"One morning, at the break of dawn, the smell of heavy smoke woke him from his dreams. Tawa Uta followed the smell of death to a village not unlike his first home. He counted ten bodies, before the lingering presence of his enemy forced a change. His bones cracked and reformed, whilst golden fur, the colour of his sunlight namesake, grew from his skin. A lone wolf he had become, but a boy he still remained. He roamed the land in such of purpose now, and discovered his thirst for freedom. He found first love, and lost it, like blades of dried grass slipping through his fingers. He found belonging with those he thought were like him, but the wind changed direction, and so did they. He killed his first cold one, but he still did not fill the emptiness in his soul."

"At long last, he asked himself two questions: first, 'where am I going?' and second, 'who will go with me?' Up until this moment, he realised he had existed, like a fish only exists to eventually feed the bear, but he had not _lived_. In his long search for answers, Tawa Uta finally became a man."

Up until now, I had clung to every word Billy spoke, as the story took shape around us. Now though, I was frowning deep as I fervently tried to dissect it all. So, was he basically saying that, 'to exist' isn't the same as 'to live'? Or… had I missed something? I think this was quite possibly the most philosophical story Billy had ever shared with us, and I had to wonder if there was maybe some sort of intentional purpose behind his choice to share it with us tonight. I looked to Jake, hoping to find more answers in his expression, but his head was bowed with downcast, frowning eyes. Leaning forwards on his deck chair, both of his hands were clasping his beer can tightly, and I couldn't figure out if he was confused, or in deep contemplation; or ultimately a mix of both.

"Thank you, Billy." On behalf of everyone, Sam's deep voice spoke up, followed by a respectful nod. The gesture was returned by our storyteller, and then, he raised his bottle.

"A toast," he announced. I quickly lifted my bottle of plain water as everyone else lifted up their own bottles and cans. "To Jacob. May he in turn, find the answers to his own questions."

"To Jacob," everyone echoed in unison. Except me. My voice was a silent whisper caught between a tied tongue. The Quileute packs had always made me feel welcome among them, but every now and then, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider. As I studied each of them in turn, each and every one of them wore a secret on their face. I knew they were all sad to be losing Jacob, especially his pack. Had they tried to talk him out of it? Were they still trying to convince him to stay?

Biting my lip, I nervously stared down at my fidgeting hands. Did they resent my family for leaving? Did they resent _me_? I couldn't exactly blame them if they did. Even Jake had said it himself – that the only reason he was coming with us, was because I _needed_ him. Because he'd already promised he wouldn't leave me, a dozen times before.

Could I ever release him from that promise?

 _No_ … just the thought of it had me digging my naked toes in the cold sand littered with pebbles, as I pulled my knees towards my chest.

Amidst all the food for thought everyone was chewing on, baby Zac started crying again, and Emily broke the silence further with her gentle chuckle. "Well this is one little boy who's already worked up an appetite as great as his fathers."

The proud father she referred to chuckled, quickly giving his wife a peck on the lips, before she carefully stood up. As she slowly strolled away from the circle with Zac in her arms, it occurred to me that she was probably going to feed him. Like dominoes falling, the mood slowly started to lighten up again.

"Wanna hear the new song I've been practicing?" Embry asked no one in particular, as he was already reaching over for his acoustic guitar and perching it on his thigh.

"Can you strike all the chords this time?" Quil was quick to tease.

"Better than you can."

Despite his more reserved persona, Embry occasionally had a sharp and witty tongue that even Jared couldn't counter. I always felt privileged to witness it in practice, just like I didn't mind the background noise of his lightly strummed tune, and the inevitable mistakes of wrongly placed fingers on the strings. I'd jammed with him a few times, since string instruments are my speciality; and helped him get to grips with the basic chords. Now, he was moving onto the more complicated ones, but I was certain that with some more practice, he'd nail them too. Maybe then, he'd be brave enough to sing as well? I always thought he was a bit of a dark horse. Out of all the wolves, he has the smoothest tone to his speaking voice, so I think his shyness is annoyingly holding back what could be a really pleasant singing voice. Until he comes out of his introverted shell though, I guess we'll never know.

"Can we build my castle now?" From the way that she swung her bucket and spade, Clare wasn't giving Quil much room so say no to her. He'd never refuse her anyway. I hadn't even lived as many years as her, and yet I was older than her. If I was still 3 years old maybe, I'd probably want to build sandcastles with her too.

Instead, I was fighting the urge to keep checking back on Jake, whilst everyone around us relaxed again. He'd brought a large helping of food over to his father, and now they both sat, eating together and occasionally breaking words. My sensitive hearing didn't matter though, because I didn't understand them. They were speaking in the Quileute tongue, which was as beautiful as it was mysteriously steeped in the shrouded mystery of their treasured culture. Whereas Billy was mostly fluent as an Elder of the tribe, bound to keeping their traditions and language alive for the next generations to come; Jake occasionally stumbled over his words, and it almost sounded like Billy was correcting him.

Paul, Jared and Sam were also helping themselves to the food, and their conversation started to match names I didn't recognise, against events I hadn't been a part of. At a guess, they were currently reminiscing about their school days on the reservation, and how Jared had dared some kid to eat a bunch of fish heads for ten dollars. Without a word, Leah abruptly stood up whilst Jared was laughing loudly. She left the circle to stroll down the beach, but only Seth, Embry and I seemed to pay her any attention. I figured she was still angry with Jared or something, and for entirely different reasons, I wish I could have copied her brisk departure.

"Hey Nessie, you missed the sea otters out foraging earlier. Wanna see if they're still there?"

"Sure, Seth."

Dusting the collection of sand and pebbles from my denim rear, I gladly followed him down to the shoreline, and then across to the rocks that jutted out into the ocean slightly. We'd be lucky to spot any sea otters now that the sun had gone down, but it was a good enough excuse for me to get away from the firelight. It was nice to get up and stretch my legs, and the gentle sounds of the calm, outgoing tide were a calming comparison to the raging embers we'd left behind us. For a while, Seth and I looked out to the horizon in concentrated silence; squinting our eyes in an attempt to spot any sign of marine life. Aside from one or two jumping fish, there was nothing but stillness in the great beyond.

"What did you think about Tawa Uta?" Seth finally asked.

"Hm?" I turned my attention to him, and the question he'd randomly poised, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were fixed ahead, just watching the faintly shimmering, grey-blue water.

"Tawa Uta," he repeated. "It must have been hard, trying to be someone you're not, just to get rejected by the people you thought were your family."

"Well... I think his family kinda did him a favour, in a tough love kinda way." I wasn't really ready to discuss the story yet, when I was still trying to wrap my head around it all myself, but it was comforting to know that I wasn't the only one struggling with the overall moral of the tale.

"Yeah, they did in the long run, but he didn't know the game plan until he beat the game."

Now I was just confused. Where was he going with all this?

"Isn't that just... life?" I think I was starting to slowly get it, but I wasn't sure if Seth was on the same page as me right now.

"I feel like... me and Tawa Uta have a lot in common," he finally announced. Yeah, we definitely weren't on the same page. "I mean, I'm not the youngest shifter anymore, but everyone still treats me like a kid. Nothing's gonna change that, unless I do what he did."

And now, I wasn't sure if I was entirely comfortable with where this was going. "You mean, go your own way?"

"Yup."

Somehow, I didn't have Seth pegged to be the 'lone wolf' type, but even if I was to use the gentlest phrasing possible; I also didn't have the heart to break it to him that to me, he always seemed like he was more of a follower than a leader. "Where would you go?" I asked instead, somewhat humouring him.

"I dunno yet." Canting my head to the side, I waited for him to get whatever it was he wasn't telling me off his chest. Pursing his lips though, he shook his head. "It's just a random thought."

It was clearly more than just a random, fleeting thought. "Seth, _tell me_. What's going on?"

Still pursing his lips, like he was forbidden from opening them again, he cast his gaze back over to the beach. "Somewhere where... _they_ can't get to me." He finally said in a quieter, strained voice.

They? Following his eye line, I saw that he was staring at Sam, Paul and Jared, who were still sitting together in their own exlusive circle by the fire. What did the Uley Alpha and his pack have to do with all of this talk of him more or less running away from the Black Pack?

Seth's laboured sigh drew my frowning gaze back to him. "Ugh, okay Ness, you have a right to know, so I'm just gonna tell you." Looking down at the rocks beneath our bare feet, he muttered the last part to himself. "It's not like you won't find out anyway."

Then, he crouched down, like he was trying to hide behind me. I copied, keeping my eyes on him as I settled my weight on my heels, so that my head was higher than his. Hopefully it was enough to block him from sight, but there wasn't much either of us could do about the keen hearing of the pack, other than try to keep our voices as low as possible. Even then, if they wanted to, they'd still probably hear us. I probably shouldn't have encouraged Seth to keep talking about pack secrets, but he clearly needed to talk to _someone_ , and I was way too curious now to turn my back on the whole conversation.

"When... Jake leaves," he started, still refusing to look at me properly. "Leah's gonna have to step up as Alpha, and trust me, those are some giant boots to fill. Whilst she's great at taking orders from Jake, and keeping us in line as his Beta, well – I hate to say it man, 'cause she's my sister and all but –"

I heard him draw a deep breath into his lungs, and he fidgeted to sit down properly on the rock.

"But _what_ , Seth?" I urged him, not moving from my crouched position.

"She's _not_ a natural-born leader, like an Alpha _needs_ to be. Half the time, she doesn't even _like_ being a wolf, and –" He sighed another exasperated breath. "And I'm not the only one who's thinking it. Man, you have _no_ idea what it's like to hear all her emo-thoughts when we're shifted. That's why I - why _we've_ started hearing Sam's voice again, when we're shifted. We all _know_ that if it was between Leah and Sam, there's no competition, 'cause Sam's the Alpha." Finally, Seth looked over to me with concerned eyes. "He's gonna... _absorb_ Black Pack, and Leah won't be able to do a damn thing to stop him."

 _Wow_ … I hadn't really thought about the Pack politics. To be honest, I'd assumed that Jake's pack would carry on without him, but I guess without another 'true' Alpha around, it made perfect sense for Sam to step up and unify the packs as one whole one again. But, Sam already had a Beta and a Gamma, so what about Leah and Embry? Would they just be pushed down the ranks again?

"Does _Jake_ know?" Was my immediate question, and if the answer was yes, then my next question would be: why the hell didn't he tell _me_ any of this!?

"Yeah, he knows, but there's nothing he can do about it. He's pretty much given Sam his blessing to lead anyway, 'cause it's the obvious choice. It's not like he can be Alpha all the way from… wherever it is you're moving to."

"West Virginia."

"Yeah… so if he wants to keep his pack, then he needs to _be here._ With us."

This was a lot to process.

"But, because of … all the other… _stuff_ , that's going on, he can't."

 _Stuff_!? Was he referring to me and my family, or was there something else going on here that I didn't know about?

"Seth, you're not making much sense right now. What other 'stuff'?"

He sighed heavily, and looked at me like I was the dumbest thing on the planet. "It doesn't matter. What matters is, he's going, and Sam's taking over. So now, I have to decide what _I'm_ gonna do about it: Stay, or go."

I was already responsible for swaying the decision of one Quileute shifter, so I wasn't about to drop myself in it by adding another one to the record. "I'm sorry Seth," I gently offered. "But that's a decision you'll have to make on your own." I wasn't going to push him one way or the other, and I definitely wasn't about to start getting involved in the pack-politics.

"I know," he huffed. "I just needed to vent a bit. Get it all off my chest."

Looking over at him, I watched as a light smile slowly transformed his smooth features. He was technically twenty-one years old now, but even with fake I.D, there was no way he was getting served at a bar yet. Not when he still looked like a teenager who could barely grow facial hair on his smooth chin.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," I tried to reassure him, offering the warmest smile I could muster right now. "Whatever decision you make, it'll be the right choice."

"Thanks, Ness." He smiled back, but as his dark eyes looked past me, that smile slightly faded, and his eyes focused on something else. Before I had time to look over my shoulder and figure out what - or rather _who_ ; two words solidified my gut instinct.

"Uh-oh..."

* * *

 _ **To be continued in Chapter 5: "Timing is Everything"**_


	5. Chapter 5: Timing is Everything

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Another day, another update for you! I just hope I can keep up this regular writing pace up from here on out. Oops, I did it again though - I had to rename the previously promised chapter to something more fitting. It's probably a better move if I stop anticipating them in advance from here on out, but I'm happy to announce that I've already started on Chapter Six, and I'm pretty confident that this time, the title will stay the same.  
_

 _Watch this space...(or, y'know, hit 'follow' for an immediate update :P)  
_

 _I'm also going to dedicate this A.N to 'FadingEmotion' for leaving such a positive and encouraging review. I can't call it my 1st review, but it is the 1st non-anonymous, so thank you!_

 _And, without much further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 5: "Timing is Everything"**

Unlike Seth, I didn't feel the need to gulp back nervously, as my stare settled on Jacob. He was still standing on the beach, but he was no longer sitting with his dad. Instead, he was standing bolt upright, and intently glaring over at Seth and I. Regardless of that fact that we'd seen him though, he started to walk with purpose across the sand; like a wolf confidently stalking his trapped prey. I was willing to put a lot of money on him _definitely_ overhearing some of our 'pack politics' conversation, but how much he'd heard exactly, was another question entirely. Lifting my stubborn chin, since I had nothing to be ashamed of or worried about, I turned back to Seth. He was still sheepishly staring at Jake, dragging his palms down his thighs to clasp his knees securely.

"Guess the wolf's out the bag now," I murmured. He finally looked back at me, and managed a nervous smile. Leaning towards him, I lowered my voice again. "Just remember: I would've found out anyway."

"Yeah…" He murmured back. "I guess." Like clockwork, he perked up a little with that small dose of confidence.

Technically speaking, Seth was my uncle-in-law, but to me, he felt more like a brother. The lines often blurred between him being younger and older than me, but right now, I definitely felt like the older one. I was never going to have any blood-related younger siblings, so it was nice to have a surrogate sibling.

Checking back over my shoulder as Seth's gaze wandered again, I could see that Jake had already reached the edge of the sandy beach, but he'd stopped at the start of the rocks that jutted out to sea. He was just… _waiting_ , with an impatient knot in his brow. With a heavy sigh, Seth rose up to stand. Putting my hands on my knees, I straightened up in one fluid motion too.

"He's pissed," Seth stated the obvious. A nervous chuckle escaped him, as he dug his hands in the deep pockets of his beige cargo pants. "Is it too late to jump and swim to Canada?"

I had to laugh, and give Seth a playful shove to his shoulder. "Is that what Tawa Uta would do?"

"No…" He admittedly sighed, shoulders sagging with the acceptance of his one and only direction from here. I heard him inhale a deep nasal breath, and then, without another word, he started walking towards the beach like a condemned criminal about to face judgment in court.

The ocean breeze was battling against me, so I frantically kept tucking my frizzing locks behind my ear so I could watch Seth depart. When he finally stopped to stand opposite Jacob, the two shifters just stared in silence, until the Alpha just shoved at Seth's shoulders; urging him to get back to the campfire. There was no doubt a proper scolding yet to come, but for now, the younger Quileute just meekly obeyed with sand kicking from feet that were spurred into a quickening motion.

Dark eyes found me then, but I simply squared my jaw as I stared back. I hadn't done anything wrong, and as far as I was concerned, neither had Seth. Still, as Jake covered the gap between us, I felt the need to hug my arms around my torso, as his radiating warmth came closer… and closer…

When he finally reached me though, he only briefly stopped to stand opposite me, at an arm's length away. In silence, his eyes just held onto mine; studying my face. Then he turned, and covered those last few steps to the very edge of the rocks. Frowning at his back, I stalled for a few, erratic and confused heartbeats, before turning and moving to stand next to him. With our backs to the camp now, we both stood, facing out to sea. Finally, Jake spoke.

"He shouldn't have told you." I knew that was coming, which is why I scoffed and re-crossed my arms against my torso. Meanwhile, Jake just continued in his relentlessly serious tone. "And he was stupid to tell you when Sam and the others are just a few metres away. _Beyond_ stupid," he corrected himself.

"Well I'm glad _someone_ told me," I countered sharply. He turned his head to look at me, but I kept my gaze focused on the outgoing tide.

"It should've been me," he acknowledged. "I was gonna tell you Nessie, but when the timing was right." He turned his head to face the ocean again, like mine. "It's just been… difficult, especially over these past few days."

"I know," I muttered. I of all people had no right to chastise him about keeping secrets and struggling to talk about the things that mattered. I'd been just as bad about holding onto my thoughts lately, and there were still certain things I didn't even dare share with him, at the risk of ruining the precious friendship we had.

"I'm not mad at you," I admitted. _Just disappointed_ , I concluded to myself. Changing my footing on the rocks, I turned my whole body to face him directly; from my head, all the way down to the point of my toes. Like a compass, they were pointing to the one person I could never really feel anger towards.

"I'm just worried about the packs and, what all of this means for them."

"They'll be fine," he stated firmly, as though his words were final. "I wouldn't be leaving Sam in charge if I didn't trust him, completely."

"I know…" I trailed off with downcast eyes towards the gentle waves that occasionally crashed against the rocks beneath us. It wasn't an aggressive tide, but the rocks were an unmoveable object against the ebbing flow of the cold liquid. Much like an Alpha was an unmoveable and powerful force of nature to be reckoned with. No matter what tried to uproot them, their decisions stood firm. Jacob wasn't just the Alpha to the Black Pack though; he was also my very own rock.

"Besides," Jake continued. "The packs are already breaking apart." _What?!_ "Paul's almost an entirely different guy now he's moved in with Rachel, and Jared will be next to settle down. Soon, there won't even be a reason for the pack to shift anymore."

My voice cracked. "Because… there won't be any vampires, right?" I knew the Quileute legends, about why certain members of the tribe were compelled to shift to protect the others against the 'cold ones'. With no cold ones though, the shifters were free to leave the pack, if they truly wanted. It meant eventually losing the will to shift into a wolf though, which was ultimately the price they had to pay for the gift of mortality. None of they would be wolves forever, and my brows suddenly knit together as I wondered if Jacob would ever make that sacrifice.

" _Damn it_ , Seth -" Jake suddenly cursed under his breath, and sucked a sharp breath through his grit teeth. He must have seen my frown, and as I looked up, he was combing his fingers through his messy hair in one, swift motion. I wasn't mad, but there was no denying that Jake was still trying to keep his flaring temper at bay.

"I wanted tonight to be perfect, but then he had to go and ruin it – making everything sound like it's _your_ fault." His sigh was more of a growl, and the flat of his foot started to kick against the rocks in a frustrated tap.

"Jake –"

"The last thing I wanted was for you to start worrying over things that have already been decided and settled. If Seth's got a problem with that, then he should have come to me."

" _Jake._ " I tried again, firmer and a notch louder this time. It had the desired effect of silencing his voice behind the tensing of his closed jaw. "Tonight _is_ perfect," I tried my best to reassure him and keep him calm. "At least, it was –"

"Yeah," he sharply cut in. "No thanks to _him_."

I shook my head, and suddenly wished I had my Uncle Jasper's power to influence emotions. "Does it matter? You can't blame Seth for wanting to talk to someone first before coming to you. I think… he just needed to clear his head a bit first, and if he felt most comfortable doing that with me, then I'm happy that I helped him. E-Even, if it was just a little bit. If you're going to blame anyone, then blame me for encouraging him to talk."

My words seemed to calm him down enough to hold his attention, and keep his tongue silent for a while longer. Avoiding his intense eyes, I glanced down as I folded my arms again, and tried my best to keep reassuring him that I wasn't as worried as he seemed to think I was.

"I _know_ you love your pack like a family Jacob, and I know that you wouldn't leave them without making sure they'll be taken care of, and… Seth knows that too."

I looked up to find that his gaze had softened, and his lips had parted slightly. I was frozen in place by the way that his eyes flicked back and forth across my face, but somehow, I found the strength to finish.

"Please Jake, don't be mad at Seth."

To my surprise, he scoffed, and as his hands found his narrow hips, his head thoughtfully tilted back on his neck. I could see his Adam's apple shifting to accommodate the larger gulp of air he inhaled, and as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, he finally tilted his chin slightly to regard me once more.

"Since when did you get to be so wise?" He said. Now it was my turn to scoff, albeit nervously.

"Mm… I have my moments." I tried to be nonchalant, but a lock of straying hair demanded my attention, so I hastily tucked it securely behind my ear. His eyes followed the motion of my pale hand, and a smile twitched at his lips finally.

"Must be all those books you read."

I bit my lip, feeling the rising warmth between us evaporate the former tension into nothing more than foam lingering on the sea. "Or maybe it's just a vamp-thing?" I offered. He finally laughed, and the sound brought an undeniable smile to my lips.

"Tch'yeah right! Have you even _met_ that log head you call Emmett?"

With a smirk, I hugged myself tighter as warmth lit up my stomach, and lightly chuckled in an attempt to steady myself. "You'd be surprised."

"If he ever says something _half_ as wise as you, then yeah, I _will_ be surprised."

I really did lo- _like_ when the conversation flowed so effortlessly between us like this. No, to hell with 'like'. I needed a stronger word. I _loved_ these moments. I even loved when we just stared in a mutually comfortable silence, before one of us inevitably changed the topic. Being with Jake was just so… _easy_. I didn't even have to try to find a reason to like him, or enjoy his company.

"Okay," he finally said, followed by a heavy sigh of his yet to be spoken resolution. "I won't be _too_ hard on Seth." After a brief pause, he exhaled a more determined, nasal breath. "A week of chores will teach him when to keep his mouth shut."

Smirking, I cast my gaze over my shoulder, back towards the beach and the bonfire. The young wolf in question wasn't quick enough though, as I caught his gaping expression cast in our direction.

"I think he heard you," I tried to whisper, but Jake just barked a laugh.

" _Good_."

In a topic changing gesture, he abruptly sunk down to crouch until his weight was supported by his rear settled on the rocks. Casting his legs out, he leaned back on his arms stretched out behind him slightly, and admired the view ahead. It wasn't long before I was settled down next to him, but unlike him, I simply crossed my legs beneath me like a Buddha.

"I'm gonna miss this," he announced. His gravelled voice was smooth and relaxed, but I could tell that he wasn't just talking about the ocean and the beach.

"Me too," was all I could say in return. It suddenly dawned on me then, that this just might be the perfect time to share at least one of my secrets with him. Fidgeting slightly, trying to ignore a jagged rock poking my thigh, I turned my head to Jake and tugged at my lower lip.

"Jacob?" The proper use of his first name gained his attention, and I pinched my lip a little harder. "If… you had, just _one_ more day in Forks, what would you do with it?"

"One more day?" He echoed. I nodded, and his brows furrowed curiously. "Hmm… One more day…"

As he trailed off, I waited with a bated breath that fluttered in my lungs like a trapped bird in a steel cage, waiting to fly free. Looking down at my hands, I fidgeted again, still trying to get comfortable on the rocks. Why was he taking so long? And why did I feel so nervous…

"I'd… try to fill it with all the things I love most." He finally said. My stomach flipped, as he canted his head towards me, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why'd you ask?"

" _Because_ , I finally told mom how I felt." I didn't – _couldn't_ look at him; so I kept my eyes fixed on my hands instead, as they dusted granules of glass from the cracks in the rocks.

"Yeah?" He urged. I nodded, but that only probed him to urge me again. " _And_?"

"And -" I could almost feel my feel pounding strongly against my chest. "Basically, we reached a… compromise, of sorts. It turns out that Carlisle and Emmett have to stay behind anyway to… make sure everything's taken care of properly so…-"

"- _So_?" It wasn't just my heart that was pounding. I could hear his as well, so I finally spared him the misery of having to wait for the answer he impatiently sought.

"Mom said I could stay, for one more day." I peeked at Jacob in time to see his jaw dropping, and heard the quiet breath that escaped his parted lips.

"She _said_ that?"

"Mmhmm…" Words were beyond me now, because the sight of Jacob caught by his own genuine surprise; was everything I'd imagined it would be, and more. He was the perfect sight of reigned in emotions, because despite his restrained expression, there was no denying the pounding beat in his chest.

"And, Edwa- _your dad_ , actually agreed?"

I exhaled a shaky laugh. "Y-Yeah, sorta..." Stretching my legs out in front of me, I crossed one ankle over the other, and clasped my hands on my lap. "He wasn't jumping over the moon or anything, but he hasn't said no either."

Jake was oddly quiet, so I quickly rambled to fill what felt to me like an awkward gap. "I think he feels a lot better about it though, knowing that Carlisle and Emmett will be with me but… erm… they'll be busy and, really I… I just want to spend the day, w-with you."

I heard the rhythm of his heart skip a beat, and suddenly my own beat panicked. "If... that's okay, with you, I mean?" He stared back at me, pupils dilated in his dark eyes, and my chest hurt under his scrutiny. " _Is_ it okay?"

His gaze lowered to my pursed lips, and without thinking, I nervously and quickly flicked my tongue against them. He suddenly swallowed back, and cleared his throat.

"Yeah," he announced, sounding more deflated than anything else. "'Course it is." Lifting a hand, so that only one arm supported his weight, he rubbed the back of his neck again. Despite his words though, I wasn't convinced that he was even half as happy about all this, as I was.

"Are you sure?" I just about managed to stop myself from snapping back at him, but I know for a fact that I wasn't smiling anymore. His palm stilled against his neck, and he was completely serious as he glared back at me.

"Of _course_ I'm sure, Ness. I'm just… trying to process."

 _Oh_. Okay… I was half-tempted to reach out and touch my hand to his face in an attempt to share my happiness with him, and pull him in with it. To let him know that it was okay to show me. Thankfully, he kept talking, and I didn't have to embarrass myself any further than I felt like I already had.

"I _thought_ I had everything planned out, but now this – this is just – "

"HEY!" A voice suddenly shouted, interrupting completely, much to my total and _utter_ annoyance. "JAY-CUB!"

With a vocal scowl, I glared over my shoulder to the source of the intrusive and quite frankly, unwelcome voice. It was Jared, with the worst possible timing of all time. He was standing at the base of the rocks, with both hands cupped around his mouth to project his voice. He wasn't standing there alone though…

"IS IT TRUE?" That was Embry.

"YOU GOT ONE MORE DAY?" And then Quil.

"AWESOME!" And finally, Seth. Standing next to him was Leah, but she had nothing else to add to their collective voices and cheers. For once though, she wasn't scowling at me. Instead, she was lightly smiling.

With a forlorn sigh, Jake cast an apologetic look my way. "Remind me to put an injunction on them listening in like that," he muttered. I couldn't agree more, and also couldn't believe that he hadn't done that already. It wasn't like we already had to contend with my dad constantly eavesdropping in or anything…

I selfishly wished that he'd compel them to shut up and go back to the campfire, just so we could have a few more moments alone. Jake was already laughing as the guys excited cheering erupted into an affectionate little play fight, and all I could do was accept that our time together had been cut short.

 _Friday really couldn't come quickly enough._

"C'mon," Jake said as he pushed himself back onto his feet. I ruefully copied, and was about to dust the sand off my rear once I was up. I couldn't though, because the hand that I was about to use, was suddenly caught at the wrist by Jake's snatching grasp. He tugged me along to walk beside him, but as his thumb slipped down between my palm, nothing could prepare me for the friction of our palms finding their way together. It wasn't the first time that Jake had held my hand, but it was the first time that it felt like we were two pieces of the same puzzle, finally being slotted together.

The perfect moment was fleeting though, because the second we reached the beach again, Jake's hand slipped from mine as the pack rushed to engulf us. I felt the succession of their quick hugs and playful slaps against my back, but though our hands had been separated, my eyes were still pulled to the magnetic attraction that was Jacob Black.

Limbs flailed as Jake yanked Seth so his neck was trapped between his elbow and side, and laughter resounded around me as Seth got 'noogied' by Jake's grinding knuckles at the crown of his head. I didn't even register that my feet were moving still, as I surfed along with the pack towards the camp again. Billy, Emily and Clare were all staring in confused but curious unison at the rowdy commotion, whereas a smirking Sam and Paul already knew. Paul briskly came over to bro-fist Jake, whilst Sam just nodded calmly in an Alpha-to-Alpha understanding.

I just wish Jake had shown this much excitement when I'd told him we could have a whole day together! It was hard not to feel a little green-eyed as between them, Quil, Embry and Seth tried to explain to those who hadn't eavesdropped what was going on.

"That's great news!" Emily immediately cooed, as soon as the three boys managed to form a concise sentence between them.

"We can go cliff-diving!" Seth suddenly announced over all the voices, only to be silenced by the jab of Jared's elbow in his side. "Ow!"

" _Dude_ ," the older wolf warned, along with a wide-eyed, warning glare to shut up.

"Uh –" Seth looked a little nervous, which only made me frown more suspiciously at the whole exchange. "I mean, if you want to, Nessie."

Emily vaguely chuckled. "What _are_ you going to do, Ness?"

All eyes turned to me, and I suddenly felt like I was standing on a stage of sand, with the brightest spotlight shining down on me. "Erm…" I looked to Jake, hoping for a little help from him, but his gaping mouth was about as lost for words as mine. At least he had the excuse of only just finding out about all this, whereas I had had almost two days to come up with a plan.

"I haven't decided yet," I finally admitted with a little shrug and a nervous giggle.

"So can we all go cliff-diving _another_ day?" Seth never failed to lighten up a situation, even if his timing was sometimes I little flawed.

"I'll put it on my schedule," I promised. "I've made a list of everything I need to do, for every day of the week." And that reminded me… "Erm, Billy?"

I could feel Jake's eyes on me most of all, as Quil and Embry stepped aside so I could move towards the Chief and Elder of the Quileute Tribe behind them. He regarded me with the tilt of his chin, but the indentations that lined both corners of his mouth in a curved, downwards sweep, were the tell-tale sign that he'd only just been smiling to himself.

"Is it okay if I came over to your house, on Thursday night?" His brows, furrowed at my polite request, because he knew that I was well aware that unlike other Vampires, I was always welcome in his home. I guess it was because I was only a hybrid, not to mention his son was my best friend. Regardless, I respected him too much to just invite myself over and sabotage his kitchen. "I really want to cook dinner for you both," I therefore added. "And Rachel and Becca too, if they can join us?"

Billy nodded, reiterating the words that I already knew. "Of course, you're always welcome."

"Thanks," I smiled, oddly feeling relieved.

"But only if you cook steak," he added. Everyone around us chuckled, which convinced him to carry on the playful conditions with a widening smile and chuckle of his own. "Medium-rare."

I'm no Esme in the kitchen, but I think I could just about manage that? "Okay," I nervously laughed along with the group. "Medium-rare steak it is."

I'd almost forgotten about the littlest attendee at the fire, but that changed when soft gurgles erupted into tired cries of a baby that wanted to be put to bed.

"I think Isaac's had enough excitement for one day," Emily sighed.

I didn't know what the time was exactly, but whenever we were at La Push, time just seemed to ebb and slip past us. Sometimes, the pack were happy to sit out for hours and hours, but then there were other times when they were eager to return to other obligations. Jared, for example, was probably looking forward to Kim getting off work, and Paul would probably have to catch either the last bus, or the first early bus home to Pullman. Inevitably, the guys would leave the beach one by one, and then, it would be time for Jacob to take me home.

"I'll get the car ready," Sam announced. "I'll see that your dad gets home okay," he added, to Jacob. Holding his hand out to Clare, he waited for her to give Quil a quick, sisterly hug, before she ran over. The Uley's were leaving, and I had a feeling that the evening was slowly winding down.

As I'd anticipated, Jared and Paul were next to say their goodbyes. Paul promised that he'd be back on Thursday with Rachel for the 'farewell dinner', and I realised that I'd probably have my hands full cooking for five people in total, if I included myself. If Becca and her husband could come over from Hawaii, then that would be seven! A whole new record.

"Seth," Leah finally spoke after what felt like hours of her sulking silence. "Help me clear up." Embry and Quil gave their younger pack-brother a shove, but with one last smile to Jacob and I, they too followed to take care of dousing the bonfire and any leftover food. I barely even remembered eating any, but no doubt the wolves had devoured every morsel.

"Guess everyone's leaving," Jacob finally announced the obvious.

"Yeah," I sighed. It still felt too early to go home, but watching Seth start to pick up any empty cans and bottles left behind, I bit my lip. "Should we help them?"

Jake stalled a bit, but his answer hardly surprised me. " _Naaah_."

I wish he'd hold my hand again, but from the way he dug his hands in his pockets, I had a feeling that my palm would be kept in yearning.

"Can we walk along the shore?" I asked, desperately trying to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. Jake quirked a brow at me, but then just shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure."

In silence, I walked alongside him; kicking up fine sprays of cold sand with my bare feet, until it became soggy and more compact between my toes. It was a longer walk than usual, thanks to the tide going out, but the distance was no match for our long strides. I'd wanted to take my time with smaller steps, but there was an urgency to Jake's pace. I could tell by the deep frown on his brow that he was taking the time to think now that he had some peace and quiet. Sometimes, I wish he'd stop to think a little less. I wanted nothing more than to press my thumbs against his forehead, and iron out the creases.

When we finally reached the shoreline, he stooped down to scoop up a pebble, and threw it. Even in the descending darkness of night, that was getting thicker now; I could both see and hear the pebble's skips across the water. Four skips? _I could beat that_. Stooping down, I picked up my own pebble. It skipped five times.

"Show off," Jake muttered. Inwardly, I beamed at the opportunity to finally best him at something. It was a minor comeback after Friday's baseball game, but sometimes, it's the smallest things that count.

Wasting no time, I followed the siren's call to the ocean, but Jake paused to roll up his jeans. Thanks to my short dungarees, I didn't have to wait. He only managed to get the material up to mid-shins, before he followed after me. My feet were already in the water then, and the initial temperature was a small shock to my system. My temperature is naturally a little higher than a human's, but nowhere near as high as Jake's is. I heard him suck a sharp breath between his teeth though, and turned to face him. The wind was battling against my hair, and I suddenly wished I'd had the sense to tie it back as the golden waves whipped around my face. With the sweep of my hand, I managed to pull it all under control, to the side. Jake had stopped to strangely stare at me, and before I knew it, I was biting my lip mischievously, as I took a step back.

" _Nessie_ ," he warned. "Don't."

"Don't _what_ , Jacob?" I innocently asked, as I kept on walking backwards. He took a few steps forwards me, still wincing as he adjusted to the cold temperature against his ankles. I however, was already feeling the water occasionally brushing up against my knees. Every time the tide pulled out, I felt the tug against me, as nature tried to topple my superhuman balance. I stood firm though, finally stopping with a resolute grin.

" _Nessie_ ," he warned again, like he already know _exactly_ where I was going with this. He took a step forward, and I took another step back. "C'mon, I mean it." I knew there wouldn't be a third warning, but that's what nudged me further with the teasing. He took another step forwards, and I took yet another step back.

His nostrils flared at my stubbornness, and that's when I decided to bend forwards and splash him. Like a total wuss, he stumbled back slightly, and raised his forearms. It didn't stop his jeans and t-shirt from getting sprayed though. You'd think a dog would actually _like_ water, but right now, he was behaving like a regular house cat.

"It's only water, Jake." I smirked back, as he lowered his arms and took a moment to inspect the damage.

"Oh that does it –!"

 _Finally_ he accepted the challenge, and with his powerful legs, begun to take more determined strides through the water. I could no longer escape him just by walking backwards, so with an excited little squeal, I turned and quickly ran forwards into the accepting ocean; splashing everywhere. The tide helped to propel me forwards, but the water had barely reached past my waist, when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around it instead. In one motion, my feet were lifted up from the seabed, and I was spun round to face the opposite direction.

I realised Jake had managed to pull me up against him in the momentum of the swing, but now, I felt my feet touch down again, and his hand on my wrist. He tugged, but for once, I resisted. The water must have helped me slip free, and I managed to get space between us again as I moved to the side this time. We were both standing an equal distance from the shoreline now, but I had no intention of going in that direction.

"Nessie," he practically growled at me. "I'm _warning_ you – _don't do it_." When was he going to learn that telling me _not_ to do something was like daring me to do it anyway?

That's why I bolted, as fast as my legs could carry me. At first, I was just running along the same depth of water, but then, I started to change my direction to more of a diagonal, and the water started to get deeper again. I could hear Jake behind me, trying to keep up, but I took the competition more seriously now, which is why he had such a hard time trying to catch me.

Of course, he eventually would, but only because my body was thrown forwards into the water suddenly. I could no longer run, unless I wanted to hold my breath and duck my head under. I quickly turned my body over and flicked my feet in a mermaid kick, so that I faced the shoreline again, expecting Jake to be catching up to me. The waves rocked towards me though, and I panicked slightly as I all I could see was the beach in the near distance. Suddenly, there was a loud splash to my right, and as I turned, Jake re-surfaced from beneath the water with a loud gasp.

My first reaction was to finally release the laughter that had been building in my belly all this time, but I only managed a few giggles as he silently ran his hand over his now soaking wet hair; sweeping it back from his face. When his vision settled on me, I bit my lower lip.

"Are you _crazy_!?" He finally said, and I had to fight back the really, _really_ strong urge to splash him again.

"Maybe a little," I reasoned. I clearly wasn't strong enough, because his face got splashed anyway. Once again, he was too slow with the dodging.

"Damn it Ness!" He yelled this time, but it was totally worth it. He finally splashed back, and I half-squeaked and half-laughed as the cold water hit my face. We were both soaking wet now from head to toe, and I could feel the stronger current pulling at my body, but I didn't care. Even in the cold water, I could feel Jake's warmth reaching out to me.

"I hope you realise I didn't bring any towels," he said. I scoffed at his attempt to be a mature killjoy.

"Towel-Schmowel. It's not like we won't dry out."

He'd managed to circle around me in the water to get my back to face the beach, but a stronger wave suddenly pushed my body towards him. I felt his hands catch me against the waist to keep me steady, whilst mine instinctively reached for his shoulders. As suspected, his skin was still burning hot.

"We should head back," he firmly stated. Tentatively looking up at him, I wrinkled my nose. Already I felt the brush of his legs against mine, as he tried to move us back towards the shore. "We're getting pulled out to sea." I didn't care though. I'd gladly brace the wide ocean and beyond, if it meant staying like this. That's why I put up some resistance, keeping us from actually moving. Instead, we just kept turning around, whilst the waves battled against us.

"What do you _really_ want to do on Friday?" I suddenly asked, only for his eyes to widen at me under lifting, surprised brows.

"You're asking me that _now_?" And then he huffed an unsure, exasperated laugh. " _Here_?"

"Why not?" I shrugged. "I didn't get to ask you earlier when the wolves descended." At least that phrasing brought a little lop-sided smirk to the right corner of his otherwise serious mouth.

"All you have to do," I continued, making it up as I went along. "Is tell me just _one_ thing you want to do, and then, we can head back."

" _One_ thing?" He echoed, studying me carefully.

"Yup."

We must have rotated at least a 180 degrees turn in the same spot, before he finally parted his lips to speak. I waited with a baited breath, but then, his mouth closed again. The muscles in his jaw tensed, like his teeth were trying to grind and bite back on the words he'd almost spilled. I barely even registered our bodies getting closer, until now. His hands were firm against the narrowest dip of my waist, just above the curve where my hips began. Annoyingly, the denim of my dungarees provided a thick barrier between us, but the thinner cotton of my T-shirt allowed me to feel the touch of his index fingers close to my ribs. Alice said she envied my tall hourglass figure, but I wished my hips were a little rounder, like Rosalie's. I wasn't worried about any of that now though; not with the brush of Jake's thumbs against my t-shirt. The result was a series of tingles down my sides.

His face was close. Closer than it ever had been, I think? – Not counting my dreams. I looked up at him, still waiting for the answer he was clinging too; taking my impatience to a whole new level. Come _on_ Jacob! Was my question really that _hard_?

His warm breath suddenly tickled the tip of my nose, and with a flutter of my lashes, I settled my gaze on his. The question didn't matter anymore. Not when we were close enough now to… _to_ -

"Run," he finally said. That single word flung a barrier up between us, as his head jerked back a bit, and he cleared his throat. "I want to… go running, is what I meant."

For a second, I was utterly speechless, but then, I found my voice again. "You… want to _run_?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "Through the forest, one last time."

To say I was disappointed was a gross understatement. He could have asked for virtually anything, and this was what he'd chosen?

"With you," he finally added, quietly.

Well, _that_ got my attention, and despite everything, a smile crept its' way back onto my salt-dried lips. As for me, I knew that right now, there was nothing I wanted more, than to throw myself at him. So I did. I let the next wave against me, push my torso against his, and curled my arms around his neck as I rested my chin against his shoulder.

I lied. There was one thing I wanted more, but to cross that line with Jacob, right here and right now, would be like tempting a double-edged sword to cut between the bond that we shared. I couldn't face the possibility that he'd reject me on the grounds that I was like a sister to him, even though I'd stopped thinking of him as a brother a _long_ long time ago. To my complete and utter relief and satisfaction though, Jacob didn't reject the hug. Instead, his hands slid across to my back, so that his arms could pull me tighter against him.

"Okay," I muttered, trying not to bury my face against his shoulder like I really wanted to. "Then we'll run."

I'd run the entire radius of the Olympia forest and back again, if that was all it took to make him happy. We were ear to ear, and heart to heart, and as I closed my eyes, I vowed to forever keep this moment locked away in a _very_ special place…

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 6:"An Eye for an Eye..."_


	6. Chapter 6: An Eye for an Eye

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Okay, I definitely give up with pre-emptively calling out the next chapters from here on out . Once again, I've had to split a chapter into two parts and rename it, as a few stray ideas I've been mulling over finally evolved into a far more structured plot. I'm really excited with how things are developing now, so I hope this chapter is well-received by all you wonderful readers out there. As for the next chapter titles, I will now be filling them in after updating from here onwards._

 _On an entirely different note, I want to share this uber cool movie-style poster, made courtesy of 'FadingEmotion':_ _imgur fKj94M1  
Barbara Palvin is definitely my ideal casting for Nessie!_

 _And on that note, without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: "An Eye for an Eye…"**

I could feel the motion of the tide rushing against my back, but when I felt the brush of Jake's jean-clad legs against mine, I realised that he was slowly walking us back to the shoreline. For once, I was glad that he was taller than me; otherwise my feet wouldn't be dangling enough for him to walk unaided by my own steps. To make it easier though, he hoisted he up a little higher, and I realised he was mostly holding me against his side now, with just the one arm. Neither of us seemed to have anything to say, and for once, the silence that stretched between us seemed to last longer than usual. When his feet were finally splashing against the shallowed water though, Jake slowed down, and loosened his arm from around my waist. Involuntarily, I slid down his body, until my feet touched the soggy wet sand.

"I need to get you home," he finally declared. Leading the way, because this was no longer a subject for debate or discussion, he clearly expected me to just follow. My disobedient streak had been sated though, and so, I did.

"Your dad's gonna kill me," I heard him mutter, though it was seemingly more to himself than to me. I tried to offer him a reassuring smile, but it was pointless when his back was facing me. So my gaze was instead drawn to the perfect triangle of his back; from those broad shoulders, down to the narrowing of his waistline. I followed the pronounced shoulders blades pointing towards the dent of his spine, until the line disappeared behind the waistband of his jeans. Against my better judgement though, my eyes dipped lower, to the toned gluteus muscles of his firm butt.

Suddenly apprehensive of him turning round to catch me staring so shamelessly at his behind, my breath caught in my throat, and I quickly lifted my gaze back to those strong, hulking shoulders instead. His arms were swinging back and forth as he picked up the pace uphill, and my own legs worked hard to keep up with his bigger strides across the sand. There was a single light up ahead of us; a smaller campfire, where Embry, Quil, Seth and Leah sat in a much smaller circle now. The soft sounds of plucked strings confirmed that Embry was playing his guitar again. Jake didn't stop to take a detour over to them though. He was determined to get me home now, it seemed.

It was only as I reached the rocky slope towards the make-shift car park, that I felt like I was suddenly walking on sandpaper. Looking down, there were wet clumps of sand stuck to my feet and between my toes, and then in sprayed patches from my ankles up to my knees. My body temperature was already helping me gradually dry off, but there was no point trying to dust myself off until we were at the top of the hill. Once we were there, it was only a few paces until we stopped near Jake's parked bike. Only now did I realise that I hadn't gone back for my sneakers or rucksack – the very same sneakers and rucksack that someone had thankfully leaned against the bike for me instead. Then, I remembered why I'd even brought the rucksack in the first place. I can't believe I'd forgotten about the two presents I'd brought along for Jake! How can I memorise entire sonnets, but forget that one, simple thing?

Whilst Jake paused to drag his palms against the bottom of one foot, trying to scrape the dried sand off his skin, I moved to unzip my bag. The dark grey cotton of the t-shirt I'd bought from Port Angeles stared back at me, and the scraping sound suddenly stopped as Jake paused.

"Why do I suddenly smell _apples_?" He asked, and I tried not to grin too hard.

"Mm…" I started, but focused more on reaching into my bag until my fingers wrapped around the airtight container at the bottom. "Remember that 'humble pie' you asked for?"

He didn't have my amazing memory for trivial things, so his brows just furrowed as he watched me. "No?"

"Oh, well that's too bad," I smirked. Pulling the tub free, I hugged it to my chest, and kept my hand on the sealed lid. "I guess you won't be needing the slice I baked for you anymore." That seemed to jog his memory, or maybe he was just surprised that I'd baked some apple pie for him.

"Is that your apology for being such a sore loser?" He asked, and I realised it wasn't the latter explanation. Smiling, I lifted the lid up, and offered the whole tub for his inspection.

Taking a step towards me, Jake peered down to inspect the contents. A smirk tugged at the right corner of his lips, and his gaze flicked back to me. "Where's the rest of it?"

"At home," I stared back at him incredulously. He pulled a pouting face, which had me giggling. "I could hardly bring the whole pie with me!"

"I'll pass and save it for later then." He leaned back, away from the temptation. "When I can eat the whole thing."

"You're so greedy…" I muttered, but slid the lid back on and pressed it down. "How'd you know it even tastes good?" Even _I_ hadn't tried a sample of the finished masterpiece, and trust me, that had taken a lot of willpower for the same of being able to keep the pie whole. It was silly though, since in the end, I'd hastily just cut a slice and left the rest in the fridge.

"Because," he shrugged. "I trust you not to completely poison me." He moved over to his bike then, and started to unlace his sneakers to make enough room to slip his mostly sand-free feet in. "Besides," he added whilst he was doubled over. "That pie's got Esme's name written all over it."

My jaw dropped – how the hell did he know that?! Defensively, I hugged the container to my chest again, and moved back to my rucksack. "No it doesn't," I lied. "It has _Ren_ esmee written all over it."

" _Ren_ esmee doesn't pinch the corners of her pies with perfect spacing," he smirked as he straightened up. "And her pastry usually either crumbles, or turns soggy."

What was he, a pie connoisseur? "I didn't realise you paid so much attention before you inhaled your food," I teased back. He wiggled his other foot into his other sneaker, and then peaked in my bag as I shoved the container back in.

"What else you got in there?"

"Nothing!" I lied again, proved by my defensive shriek. Before I could snatch my bag off the bike seat though, he grabbed the straps and yanked it towards him.

"Uh huh," he countered, already fishing in to pull out the sleeveless, grey t-shirt. Standing up then, he held it out in front of him, letting it unfold to reveal the white image of a wolf howling at the moon, framed by a dreamcatcher. I'd mulled over buying him a new baseball shirt, but then I'd seen this t-shirt in the window of a small, downtown clothing boutique. There were a bunch of other 'spirit animal' shirts for men, but I didn't need to look much further, because I'd already found the perfect one for Jake. Peering at him now as he inspected the shirt though, I bit my lip with anxious anticipation.

"Do you like it?" I could no longer wait impatiently for him to share his thoughts.

"Well… it's not a baseball shirt," he muttered, trying to keep his tone even. His face was hidden though, so I huffed and shoved his hand away. Behind the cover of the shirt, he was smiling, and now, he cast those smiling eyes on me. "But I 'spose it'll do."

Translation: He loved it.

"In fact…" Suddenly, he turned to tossed his new shirt on the bike seat, and then tugged his current shirt off in one, swift motion. "I think I'll put it on now."

I don't think my eyes could get any wider, as for the second time in not even a whole week, I was treated to the sight of Jake's bare naked and perfectly smooth chest. And trust me, that sight _never_ got old. It was just a shame that it was short lived, because I was forced to tear my gaze away and quickly react as he tossed his old shirt at me.

"Here, you can use that to dry yourself off." And then, he shoved his new shirt on. It was perhaps a little tight on him – not that I'd gotten him a size too small on purpose or anything; but personally, I think the fit was perfect.

"How does it look?" He asked, and I realised I was staring again.

"Mm… I s'pose it'll do." Smirking as I echoed his previous words, I balled his still slightly wet t-shirt up, and then bent forwards to start to rub the sand off my knees rather than dry myself. Whilst I quickly worked on de-sanding myself, it took me moment to realise that the sudden vibrations resounding from my backpack, was my phone. I have a _very_ limited contacts list, and I rarely even used my phone unless I feel the need to text or take photos. So my suspicious mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that my dad was checking up on me, but surely it couldn't be even close to midnight already, _could it_?

Jacob didn't need to ask for my permission, as he unzipped the back again, and dug his hand in to find the buzzing object. "It's Alice," he stated, as he read the caller ID.

I quickly straightened and accepted my simple, white iphone from him, pressing the call accept before bringing the stilled object to my ear. "Alice?"

"Nessie! Where are you?" Her breathy and fast-taking voice as she got straight to the point, had my blood turning cold, as I became completely statuesque where I stood.

"Still at the La Push, but we're about to leave. Why? Is ev-"

"There's no time to explain. You need to come home, _now_."

The phone was suddenly snatched from me, but I could still hear her voice even after Jacob had barked his own growling words. "Is she in danger?"

"I don't know," Alice's voice sounded shaky. "Maybe, b –" That one word was all Jacob needed to know. Abruptly ending the call and tossing me the phone, he swung his leg over the bike and had the engine whirling to life in record timing.

"Get on," he ordered.

I didn't waste any time in shouldering my bag and climbing on behind him, and I'd barely touched my hands to his waist when the bike sped forwards. If there'd been a significant danger, then I knew that he would phased and let me climb on his back instead. He was quicker when he ran on all fours, but despite the anxiety that hung on Alice's every word, there was also an uncertainty that kept both our anxious heartbeats fairly level. Her 'maybe' wasn't exactly cause a panic, but as my surroundings blurred past me thanks to Jake pushing the speed limit down the clear highway, my thoughts immediately pointed to the Volturi. They knew I'd be reaching my so-called 'adulthood' in just under two month's time, and even though my family tried not to bring up the likes of 'Aro' and co in conversation; I knew as much as they did that he'd be curious about me now.

Had a decision suddenly been made, prompting Alice to have a vision? If she had, then surely the decision had to involve the rest of the family? It was no secret that Alice couldn't 'see' me, or Jacob for that matter. My '24 chromosome pairs' future was a blind spot, much to her irritation. Besides, even if the Volturi were somehow to blame for her mystery call, if it wasn't for me, then what reason would they have to be sending their guards to Forks?

' _Maybe_ ,' she'd said, when asked if _I_ was the one in danger. What if this actually had nothing to do with me? My initial suspicions waned, as I pictured my mom and dad's faces, followed by the rest of my family in turn. With arms clinging tighter to Jake's waist, I tried to think of any other enemies we had. Who else would have a reason to threaten a family of vegetarian vampires!?

Jake suddenly turned a sharp corner, leaning the bike as far right as he possibly could without us toppling over. Even though Alice hadn't been specific, he was speeding beyond the legal limit in his effort to get me home as fast as possible. Before long, the treeline around us was getting thicker as we left the highway behind us, and approached the Olympia Forest. Then, we were parking up right outside the main house, just in time for my mom and dad to burst through the double front doors. Dad stopped on the porch, glowering at the bike I was now climbing off. I paid that no attention though, because my mom was soon calling my name, and throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.

"What's going on?" I demanded as soon as I hastily pushed away from her. "Is everyone okay?"

She quickly found my hand, and started leading me into the house as she answered. "We're fine, but we there's a lot to explain. Alice had a vision."

 _I knew it._

Within seconds, I found myself standing in the open plan living room, surrounded by my family. Carlisle stood with Esme on the two steps that led into the kitchen; his arm draped protectively around her shoulders, whilst her frowning, golden eyes conveyed her worry towards me. Alice sat on the large, cream sofa, and though she looked a little shaken, the reassuring hand that rested on her knee, along with the presence of Jasper beside her, was surely keeping her calm. An open laptop rested on the coffee table in front of them, but I couldn't see what exactly they'd been researching from it. Finally, Emmett stood slightly behind Rosalie near the staircase, with one hand resting on her stomach. There was a single suitcase placed by her feet, which instantly made me feel nervous and insecure.

Wasn't that _my_ suitcase? The same one I'd taken with me to Brazil and London and most recently, _Oslo_? I felt my dad brush past me then, no doubt having heard my thoughts, as he moved to stand in the centre of the room. Mom kept her hands rested on my shoulders, whereas Jake kept a cautiously silent distance as he stayed close to the main doorway.

 _Tell me what's happening!_ I silently urged my dad with my thoughts.

"The Romanian Coven are coming," he finally announced. I swallowed back, trying to think back to before I was even a year old, when my entire existence had been threatened by one, misunderstanding. The 'Romanian Coven' had consisted of just two strange men, who'd offered to be 'witnesses' for me. I could just about picture their faces, but remembered most of all how they'd refused to let me place a single touch against their chalk white skin. Once they'd chastised us for not chasing after the Volturi though, they'd just… disappeared. Though I knew that Carlisle and Jasper had made an effort to stay in contact over the years with the other covens who'd stood as witnesses for us, no one had mentioned the fate of the Romanians. I think we all just presumed that they'd gone back into hiding.

"Alice saw five of them in total," my dad continued. I noted that five was fairly big for a vampire coven. "They'll be here by tomorrow evening."

 _So soon!?_

"Why?" I asked out loud. "What do they want with us?"

It was Carlisle who continued; his voice sombre and almost even rueful, as though he was suddenly filled with a deep regret. "They believe that by agreeing to join our cause over six years ago, they in turn can now claim a favour from us."

"Even though we never invited them," my mom's matter of fact tone sharply cut in. Contrary to Carlisle, her voice was verging on a gravelled anger, and I could feel her cold fingers pressing against my shoulders as she instinctively staked her maternal claim over me. "They didn't care about our daughter - they only came here for the Volturi."

"Still," Carlisle gently played devil's advocate, as he presented the bigger picture. "They were prepared to fight with us, and to them, that counts as a mutual contract. To this day, we still owe them a debt."

I closed my eyes a moment, trying to make sense of all this. "So… what? They suddenly want us to fight for _them_ now?"

 _An eye for an eye… a tooth for a tooth._

"It's plausible," my dad answered. "But before they can even think about launching an all-out attack against the Volturi, they'd need to raise an army."

"Which they've already started."

All eyes turned to Alice, but she kept her wide eyes fixed ahead, whilst Jasper clasped his hands around hers. "I've seen it, but they've also being careful – _extremely_ careful, about who they recruit. It's taken them all this time to slowly gain a small following amongst those who've been wronged by the Volturi. All this time, and they haven't even thought to make a single move against them... They've just been buying their time."

"Until now." Emmett's rough voice added his two cents, followed by the far more philosophical words of Carlisle.

"The devil finds work for idle hands."

"And theirs have been idle for far too long," my dad concluded.

I could barely focus on what all of this meant, but as my breathing quickened with each passing, frustrated and confused thought, I finally bolted forwards a step with renewed vigour. "They can't just reappear out of nowhere after all this time, and suddenly force us to fight for them! C-Can't we fight them back?"

My family had stood up to the Volturi – the most powerful Vampire Cover; in order to protect me from their so-called 'judgment'. My mom said I'd been 'fearless' on the day that I'd greeted the one called 'Aro', and pressed my hand against his ice cold and chalk-white skin. Surely a smaller and far less powerful coven wouldn't stand a chance against us now, especially with the wolf packs on our side. If other vampires dared to step on their soil, they'd –

"If they put a single foot on our land, I'll rip their throats out myself." A practically growling Jacob more aggressively finished my trail of thought, and I could feel his escalating heat threaten to topple his control, as his elevating emotions were encouraging his inner wolf to push to the surface. His fists were tightly clenched, and his pupils were so dilated in his eyes, they almost looked entirely black.

" _Jacob_ ," I heard my mom warn with her own growled voice. "Calm down."

"Calm _down_!?" He barked back, almost snarling as he bared his pearl-white teeth. "Is _that_ your answer to all this? You expect me to just stand around and _talk_ whilst Dracula one and two are already on their way here to start another vamp-war? A war they expect _you_ to fight for them? No, I've heard about enough -" He shook his head incredulously, no longer finding any use for words. Instead, he abruptly spun on his heel to yank the front door open so hard, I thought he was going to rip the whole thing off its hinges.

"Jake!" I instantly called after him, but only managed a single step forwards before my mom latched her hand around my forearm.

"Let him go," she asserted. I stopped, still wanting to chase after him, but then my eyes once again settled on the suitcase by Aunt Rosalie's feet, and the panic started to wise in my tightening chest once more.

"What's _that_ doing there?" I finally demanded, and now it was Rose who looked at me painfully, like she of all people suddenly empathised with my confusion. The silence was thick, but it didn't last longer than a heartbeat. My dad made sure of that, as he spoke for everyone.

"We're… all in agreement, that in light of everything we've learned; we need to get you away from here."

 _No..._

"Tonight," he added.

I slowly started to shake my head, back and force, as I gaped back at him in total and utter stupor.

 _No-no-no… why would they do this? Why would they even say that?!_

"I'm not leaving!" I countered, shrugging away my mom's attempt to step closer and put her hands on my shoulders again. "I'm _won't_!" I heard my own voice rise higher, as though that would be enough to solidify my decision. "I can't I… I - How can you expect me to just – to just run away from it all and leave you here, whilst all of _you_ could all be in danger. _N-No!_ "

I could feel Uncle Jasper's eyes focused intently me on, forcing my racing pulse and hyperventilating breathing to slowly start to calm back down with the calming of my emotions. Taking advantage of the fact that I'd been stilled against my will, my father took a careful step towards me.

"Renesmee," he gently soothed. "Please, understand. Alice can't see how you fit in with all of this, not even as her vision will keep evolving with each and every decision we make from this point on. If we can't manage to resolve this peacefully, and the situation suddenly escalates beyond our control…" He trailed off to sigh heavily, before trying to continue using a different tactic. "You're just far too precious for us to involve in all this, especially when we don't know yet what the eventual conclusion might be."

I studied him carefully, understanding his paternal need to keep me safe, but _he_ needed to understand that I wasn't a child anymore.

"But I can fight too," I argued back. "You said there would be… five of them? Even without the packs, we already outnumber them by almost two to one. You don't need to protect me - I'm not a child anymore."

Despite my petulance and sound argument – at least, _I thought it was_ – my dad calmly lifted a hand, to tuck a wild, amber lock of part frizzed, part wavy hair behind my left ear. The gesture was slow, enabling him to affectionately brush his cold fingertips against my ear.

"I know you're not, Renesmee, but regardless, it'll always be our priority to keep you safe." He tried to reason with me, but I was already stubbornly squaring my chin back at him. "Think of it as just a precaution. If things go our way, we won't even need to fight."

"Edward's right. I'm sure there will be a way to resolve this peacefully."

I heard my grandfather's voice, and registered the words, but I was still sulking at my father's firm decision. Taking one step towards me, he lifted his arms, and caught me in his alabaster embrace as I launched myself towards him. I still wanted to reject his decision, but I couldn't reject his fatherly love. I heard the sound of footsteps carrying someone over the wooden floor towards the front door, but with my head buried against my father's chest and my eyes closed, I didn't yet register who it was who was leaving.

"We'll be right behind you," I heard him continue to reassure me. "As soon as all this business is dealt with."

I suddenly pulled back, so my eyes could study him as my confusion produced more questions. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"West Virginia," he instantly answered, probably having already read the question in my mind. "Our plans haven't changed so far as our new home is concerned. This is nothing more than a temporary setback."

' _And how am I supposed to get there?'_ My mind asked him next, and in my thoughts, I imagined either Rose or Esme being responsible for driving me. Out of all the family, they were perhaps the weakest when it came to combat, but put Rosalie behind the wheel of a car at least, and even my dad would struggled to outmatch her driving skills.

Yet as he no doubt read my mind again, he closed his eyes, clearly struggling to provide me with an answer. The muscles in his cheeks clenched as he clearly grit his teeth together, and his brow painfully furrowed.

"Jacob," he finally forced out the name. My chest immediately tightened with the selfishness of knowing that my safety would be irrevocably assured by my wolf protector. "We're trusting him to get you there, safe and sound. Bella's gone to find him now, before he alerts the packs."

I didn't need to ask the question out loud, because the second that I frowned up at him, my father provided continued to explain. "We think it best that the packs don't get involved this time. It'll be easier to find a more peaceful solution if the Romanian Coven don't feel threatened."

Well they _should_ feel threatened, and then _grateful_ that they'll be allowed to just peacefully leave after threatening _us_ with a 'debt' we didn't even owe them!

Huffing a sharp breath through my nose, I cast my eyes up to witness my dad's slow smile; as though despite his more peaceful approach, he was still returning my sentiments exactly. For once, I wasn't angry at him for continuing to listen in on my thoughts. Then, he pulled me into another, cold embrace, and briefly rested his strong chin against the crown of my head. Everyone said he'd given me his stubbornness and determination, along with his sun-kissed hair and musicality. Although we're both more than capable of over-analysing situations, he does it twice-fold over. Even as he hugged me now, I couldn't help but think that he was pessimistically over-reacting in his decision to send away from ' _potential'_ danger, simply because Alice couldn't 'see' my future. The way that his arms tightened then was like his way of telling me that regardless of my thoughts and accusations, his decision was still final.

As I stepped back, Rosalie approached with my suitcase wheeled behind her. "I packed you some essentials," she announced. It was the kind of thing I would have expected Alice to take care of, but a quick glance in her direction confirmed that she was far more preoccupied with dissecting her vision.

"I know it's only a forty hour drive," Rose continued. "But, just in case we happen to be delayed, there's at least a week's worth of clothes for you here."

"Thanks, Aunt Rosie." I reached out to accept the plastic handle from her, and tried my best to force a grateful smile past my melancholy lips. I still hated the fact that I was being forced to do this, and not even the addition of Esme by my side, stroking a mothering hand against my frazzled hair, was enough to convince me that this was the right decision.

"Don't worry 'bout us," Emmett smirked as he came to stand behind his wife and soulmate. "Soon as those walking dust clouds make a wrong move, we'll send them crying back to their count dracula coffins, along with whoever else they bring."

At least Emmett was prepared to fight the ancient Romanians, and that gave me some comfort, knowing that regardless of Carlisle's desperation to remain peaceful, Emmett would always put the safety and protection of the family first. Then there was Jasper, who in his silence, was probably already developing at least two battle strategies to enforce.

"Nothing's changed," Alice suddenly announced. I realised then that she was probably still paying attention to her precognitive frequency, making sure she stayed tuned in so that nothing altered her original vision in the time we had all spent making decisions. Sighing then, no doubt with the frustration of not being able to see me through the blind spot, she rose up in one lithe movement, and crossed the gap towards me in her delicate stride.

"I may not be able to see you, but I do know this: Vladimir and Stefan won't risk drawing attention to themselves, so you have to make sure Jacob keeps to the main roads and more populated areas – they won't feed in the cities. Also, the five of them seem to be travelling separately, but you'll need to be well clear of Washington State before tomorrow night."

That part was easy, especially with Jacob's maniac driving.

"Promise me you'll do that Nessie," Alice suddenly grabbed my arms and gave me a little shake. It jolted my thoughts away from Jake, and back to the advice she'd firmly imparted.

"Okay - okay! We'll keep to the main roads and get out of Washington, promise."

"And don't you _dare_ switch your phone off," she added, trying to keep her voice steady. "Or lose it. We need to be able to call each other, in case anything drastically changes."

Jasper had meanwhile moved to stand behind Alice, and he calmed her now with a hand around her waist. After nudging his nose against her cheek, he lifted his eyes to me, and calmly continued with her instructions.

"We've marked the quickest and safest route on a map for you," he said in his relaxed, Southern drawl. "It's in the front pocket of your suitcase, along with your passport, some money, and the keys to the new house."

Between them, Jasper and Alice never failed to be prepared, and I had to wonder now if it was them who'd been the ones to suggest that I be placed out of the line of fire. They always worked as a unit, even if it meant making decisions before consulting or confiding with the family. I couldn't rule out my father's involvement though, especially when I knew that both he and Alice heavily relied on their abilities in order to protect the family. I had to wonder now if I'd really been told everything that had occurred in her vision – or was concealing the truth the only way that they could protect me further? I don't know if I'd be able to forgive them in a hurry, if it turns out they were purposefully keeping me in the dark. Why did I have the horrible feeling that it would be more than just forty hours before we were all reunited again?

"No goodbyes," Alice firmly stopped me, as I took one step closer. "Like Edward said, this is just a temporary set-back." Her golden eyes flickered to my father, and the pair shared a silent look before she returned to me with a forced smile. "We'll be joining you soon enough in our new home."

"With the exception of a few things, everything you need should already be there." Rosalie reassured with a smile of her own.

"Yeah," Emmett's warm voice added. "So don't even think about throwing a housewarming party without us!" I could no longer stop a more genuine smile from warming my own features in return.

"And don't worry," Esme was next. "The neighbours shouldn't bother you, so long as you keep your head down."

Carlisle followed her in agreement. "The closest are about a fifteen to twenty minute drive away." I knew they both meant well, but right now, I couldn't give a damn about the new neighbours. I'd deal with that scenario if and when I needed to.

Inhaling a deep breath, I turned to my father, expecting him to impart his own parting words to me; like 'try not to draw any attention to yourself' or maybe even a more sarcastic and mood-lightening 'try not to have too much fun without us,' despite the fact that he knew I'd be worrying myself sick.

Instead, I followed his line of sight over to the front door, and suddenly realised why as the sound of two sets of footsteps drew near. "It's time," he announced.

Outside, it was now almost pitch black, and I realised that night time had well and truly descended in a thick blanket over the starless sky. I saw my mother appear first from the gaps between the dense trees ahead, followed by a brooding Jacob. He was wearing one of his deepest set frowns, and when his dark, brooding eyes lifted to find me on standing on the porch, his nostrils suddenly flared. When my mom realised he'd stopped, she turned back to face him, and I heard him gruffly say:

"Bella, are you sure about this?"

"Yes Jacob," she didn't even hesitate. "I trust you."

Even from our short distance, I distinctly heard him expel a laboured breath. His heartbeat was still drumming, but in comparison to before, he was much calmer now. Wasting no time, my dad moved down the main steps, and I followed behind him. Everyone else lingered on the porch, except for Rosalie, who hadn't followed us outside. I knew why when I heard the sound of an engine igniting from the garage.

"Bella explained everything?" My dad asked, as he moved to stand opposite Jacob.

"Yeah," he was still frowning, perhaps even more so now that he glared back at my dad. I wondered then if perhaps he too disagreed with the plan?

"Then you know that we're all trusting you to keep her out of harm's way."

Jake scoffed in return, breaking eye contact to glance at my mom, before his gaze flickered back to my dad. "You don't need to tell me twice," he snapped back.

I hated when they did this – talked about me like I wasn't there, and on top of that, why did Jacob and my dad have this underlying tension bubbling between them? If they trusted him, like they said they did, then why was this such a big deal? I mean, it wasn't like he was going to be driving me roughly 2,823 miles through eight or nine states. It would be so much quicker to just hop on a plane… which made me question if they maybe _wanted_ us to be able to change direction at any given moment, rather than head in a completely fixed direction. Besides, as far as Alice was concerned, the airport was probably the equivalent of a minefield of incoming vampires. She probably didn't want to even tempt a chance encounter with Dracula one and Dracula two. That's if they were even arriving directly by plane.

Bright lights suddenly shone over us, as Rosalie drove my dad's old, light grey Volvo S60R up the driveway. She parked right beside us, and then vacated the driver's seat, leaving the engine running and the door wide open.

"Don't even think about getting a scratch on her, _dog_." She warned, as she moved past Jacob. I had a feeling she wasn't just talking about the car though.

For once, Jacob had no smart-mouthed retort for what he liked to call the 'ice cold Barbie.' Instead, he silently slung himself onto the driver's seat, and slammed the door shut. Adjusting the front mirror, he simply rested his hands on the wheel, and waited.

But my feet wouldn't move.

I turned to my father, about to urge him one last time to let me stay. To abandon this stupid idea of his, and let me stand with my family against anything that was trying to threaten us. Before I could speak though, he leaned forward, and pressed his cold mouth to my forehead.

"Remember everything what we've told you," were his chosen parting words. I didn't realise he'd taken hold of my suitcase handle, until it suddenly slipped from my gasp. Lifting the whole thing effortlessly in his arms, he moved to place it in the car boot. My mom took her chance to step towards me then.

"We'll be home with you in no time, little nudger." She hadn't called me that since I was the size of an actual child, and just to reinforce it, she nudged her knuckles against my stubborn chin. All things considered, at least she was managing to convince me that this _wasn't_ in fact the hardest decision she'd ever made. In fact, her smile was relaxed, as she stepped back to dip her hands in the back pockets of her scruffy jeans. No goodbye hug from mom either, and as my dad slammed the car boot shut, and moved to stand beside her, I realised that this was it.

This was my goodbye to Forks.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 7: "…"_


	7. Chapter 7: Tacoma Bells

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance. I also do not own the various lyrics contained within this chapter - which I'm too lazy to specify here.  
_

 _ **A.N**_ _. Okay, there's quite a lot about to happen in this chapter, but all I'm going to say is that I hope the little word play in the title is a little more obvious by the time you all reach the end! :P_

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: "Tacoma Bells"**

It was only now, as we drove along the narrow path through trees that had seen many years gone by, that I was finally made aware of the miserable fact that my clothes were still wet from the pacific ocean. Fidgeting to adjust my seatbelt against my chest, I felt the cold leather of the passenger seat pinch against the back of my thighs as I wiggled. In our haste to be ushered away by my family, I'd almost strapped myself in with my backpack still on my shoulders, when Jake had barked at me to 'buckle up.' Now, I cast a glance over my shoulder at the back seat, willing my phone to start vibrating. In my ideal scenario, I'd pick up the call, and my mom would tell me to turn around. That this was all a big mistake, and everyone was sorry, and that I _needed_ to turn around, and come home again.

"They're not gonna call, Ness." I heard Jake's matter-of-fact voice, stamping down on my hopeful thoughts, and pulling me back towards the brutal reality of the situation. Did he have any idea how hard it was to stop myself from grabbing hold of the steering wheel and literally _forcing_ him to turn the car around myself?!

Deciding to ignore him, I sat back and stared ahead defiantly. The leather of the steering wheel strained under his hands, and despite the fact that I knew he was looking at me, I just ignorantly leaned forward and turned on the radio. Once the static cleared on the default, 'Forks1490' station, the sounds of a string-drenched, piano-driven ballad driven by a smoky female voice filled the car.

 _\- and gold  
Singing blues has been getting old  
You can be my full time baby,  
Hot or cold_

 _Don't break me down_  
 _I've been travelin' too long_  
 _I've been trying too hard_  
 _With one pretty song_

Recognising the distinct voice as Lana del Ray, I was briefly tempted to change to another channel. Not because I disliked her voice – on the contrary, I loved her ability to switch between sweet and sultry, and the old and the new. Rather, it was the words she sang, together with the notes struck by the piano keys, that didn't sit well with me. Leaning back in my chair though, I guess I sub-consciously decided that I needed to hear these lyrics right now. I needed something to be able to relate to, and music rarely ever let me down on that score. So, resting my elbow on the window frame, I leaned the flat of my palm against my cheek, and listened. The tempo picked up as the chorus kicked in.

 _I hear the birds on the summer breeze,  
I drive fast, I am alone in midnight  
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble,  
But I, I've got a war in my mind_

 _So, I just ride, just ride,_  
 _I just ride, just ride_

The landscape blurred past as my eyes gazed out the window, finding shapes to cling to in the darkness beyond. Absent-mindedly, my fingertips toyed with my collar; slowly stroking back and forth against the protruding bone covered by smooth, pale skin. I felt the sudden subtle jerk of Jacob changing gears to 5th, and his foot depressing on the gas pedal. I hadn't 'officially' been taught how to drive yet, but I'd watched him enough and even read a few books to know the mechanics of how everything slotted together. If I wanted to, I could probably get behind the wheel, and 'just ride' like the song suggested.

 _Dying young and I'm playing hard  
That's the way my father made his life an art  
Drink all day and we talk 'til dark  
That's the way the road dogs do it – ride 'til dark._

"Ness?"

I didn't react to Jacob's voice rising above the music, at least, not physically. My gaze dropped down though, and was completely veiled by long lashes as I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep, settling breath.

 _Don't leave me now  
Don't say good bye  
Don't turn around  
Leave me high and dry_

"Nessie…" He tried again, his voice soft but still urgent. "Talk to me."

"I've got nothing, Jake." I murmured, tilting my head to rest it against the window pane. Actually, no, I had something. More than just something. I had a dozen whirling thoughts and emotions concocting in my head.

"We both know that's a lie," he countered. He knew as much as I did that if I was to press my palm against his cheek right how, he'd be swept up in all my overwhelming feelings.

Huffing a breath, I tore my eyes away from the passing scenery to glare at him instead. "Well what do you want to hear first? That I'm trying my hardest right now not to… fling open the door and run back home?"

"It's a start," he curtly encouraged. I caught myself frowning then.

"If I did, would you stop me?" And as I studied his every reaction, I noted the tension in his jaw as he clearly gritted his teeth together. He didn't return my glare though, as he instead stared ahead at the open road.

"I promised Bella I'd get you to West Virginia," he finally answered. His slightly strained voice proved to me though, that even he was struggling with our current situation. I guessed it was because he wanted to be with his pack, charging in to protect his territory against the unwelcome arrival of their natural enemies: _the cold ones_.

"But you _want_ to turn back," I accused matter-of-factly. "Just as much as I do." His nostrils flared, but in a rebellion against the stark truth; he eased off the gas pedal further.

"That's not an option," he almost snapped. We must have been pushing 80 mph already, but I was pretty sure the lane highway we were on was only a 70 mph limit.

 _I'm tired of feeling like I'm fucking crazy  
I'm tired of driving 'til I see stars in my eyes  
It's all I've got to keep myself sane, baby  
So I just ride, I just ride_

Sitting back in my seat again, I crossed my arms under my modest bust, and stared straight ahead. We were back on Highway 101, and I realised we were heading north towards Port Angeles. I knew this route like the back of my hand, and was already calculating in my head that at this rate, we'd be breezing through the port in about an hour's time. If Jake drove non-stop for two days straight, and didn't hit any major traffic, then we could cross from West to East Coast, and be in West Virginia before dawn on Wednesday. Even with Jake's supernatural endurance though, I didn't expect him to pull _that_ off. We'd still need to stop to eat and rest up somewhere, and I'd eventually need to hunt. I'd read somewhere that no driver should try to go more than 800miles per day, which was fourteen hours on the road. If my maths was correct, then that meant our little road trip would take around 3.5 days. Looking across to Jacob though, I wondered now if he'd even figured out anything else beyond just heading for Port Angeles.

"Do you even know where we're going?" I didn't mean to snap, or make it sound like he was incapable or anything like that. Yet judging from the way that he finally turned his head to stare back at me, I figured that's exactly how it sounded. I wish there was a rewind button on life sometimes.

"To Tacoma," he muttered. "Or near enough. I'm just gonna keep driving for three hours straight, until we find a motel or whatever."

My gaze descended down to my hands on my lap, as the sudden realisation that Jake and I would probably have to share a motel room, had me sub-consciously pressing my knees together. I don't think we'd slept in the same room since I was… _five_? And by five, I mean the equivalent of 13 or 14. Sure, he'd still let me cuddle up against him, like on the sofa whilst we watched a movie, but I'd gotten too big for him to tuck me in and let me nestle up against him until I was fast asleep.

Though, I seriously doubted there would be any 'cuddling' in whatever motel room we managed to get tonight. On my part, I doubted there would be much sleeping either. Not when in the back of my mind, I was still hoping for my phone to ring. Twisting in my chair, I suddenly reached between and behind us to snatch my backpack off the backseat, and pulled it back into my lap. Shoving my hand through the open zip, I felt the wet and sandy material of Jake's old t-shirt still rolled up in there, followed by the air tight container that hopefully kept the slice of my humble pie somewhat fresh. Finally, my fingers touched my phone. Letting the bag drop between my now parted knees, the glovebox flung open, and in a matter of seconds, I found what I was looking for.

Plugging the phone charger in, and flicking the sound on, I was finally able to lean back, and feel every tensed muscle in my body start to relax.

 _I just ride, just ride,  
I just ride, I just ride._

Once we were clear of Port Angeles, I must have involuntarily dozed off to the easy listening tunes of the radio. The view of the coastal line had calmed me somewhat, and my thoughts had returned to the time I'd spent at La Push less than two hours ago. It was strange to believe that I was now here, sitting in a car with Jake, who'd not so long ago been chasing me through waist-deep water whilst I squealed and giggled like crazy. Either I'd been thinking about the precious moment that we'd shared in the ocean just before I drifted off into a calm nap, or the memory had occupied my dreams as I slept. Or maybe it was just a bit of both.

When my senses gradually started to awaken though, the quieter hum of the car engine replaced the lull of the ocean, and Jake's strong arms around me were replaced with the lighter weight of my still slightly damp clothes resting against my skin. Jake had either changed the radio to a rock channel, or he was just conveniently enjoying the sounds of the 'Pixies' asking over and over - "where is my mind?" I could hear his hands tapping against the wheel to the firm base rhythm, and smiled as I recalled seeming a DVD copy of _'Fight Club'_ on his bedroom shelf. It was one of his favourite films, but he still hadn't let me watch it with him.

 _With your feet on the air and your head on the ground  
Try this trick and spin it, yeah._

"Your head will collapse, if there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself! –" Jake suddenly stopped singing along to the music, as soon as he realised I was staring at him and trying not to grin too big. Unlike Embry, he didn't get all embarrassed about singing along to tunes that he liked, even if he did occasionally go out of tune when he tried to reach the higher notes. I wouldn't have it any other way though.

"Well good morning sleepy head." He may have deviated from the actual lyrics, but his left hand was still tapping to the beat.

"Mm…" Stretching my legs out as far as I could, I pressed my back into the car seat and lifted my arms up; half-yawning and half-murmuring. "Is it morning already?"

"Kinda - sorta," he verbally shrugged. "It's coming up to 3am."

Wow… had I been out for the count that long? I immediately stopped thinking about me though, and starting thinking about Jacob instead, as I realised he hadn't stopped driving since we'd left Forks. I felt refreshed now, and my mind was… clearer, but I doubt that I could say the same for Jake.

"We should find somewhere to pull over," I said, frowning slightly as I got comfy in my chair again. "You need to get some rest too Jacob."

"Yeah…" He trailed off, not really convincing me that he was in complete agreement. Pursing my lips tightly together, I let my gaze fall onto his hands as they stilled against the steering wheel. We were far from Forks now, and far from my family. So if we were going to really do this… _road trip_ thing, then we needed to put everything behind us, and start working together as a team.

"It would be easier if you just let me drive for a while," I offered. That got his attention, and he even scoffed at the mere suggestion.

"No can do," he shot back.

"Why not?" I instantly countered. "It's not like my dad's here to say anything." He tensed his jaw. "Come _on_ Jacob! You can sleep a while, and I can drive. It makes perfect sense."

"And what about when the cops pull you over, and ask for your driver's license and registration?" From the way he was driving, that was sure to happen anyway, so I didn't see any difference. Except maybe that _he_ had a license, whereas I didn't…

 _Details, details._

"I'll be careful," I practically promised. " _Please_ Jacob? I know all the road rules and laws and stuff. I won't get pulled over."

"You're not getting behind the wheel Ness, and that's final." Geez I hated when he tried to sound all superior, like my dad or big brother or something. It may have worked when I was smaller, but now I just felt patronised, and then aggravated enough to stubbornly push him further. He stopped me though, before I could keep arguing.

"We'll pull into a motel soon," he tried to reason, going along with my earlier suggestion. "Stay for a few hours, then get some breakfast and head out again."

With a partially satisfied huff, I folded my arms, and crossed my leg over my knee. "Fine."

True to his word, Jake followed the signage through Tacoma, and with the assistance with my googlemaps navigation, finally turned in at the lit-up signage that aptly read 'Tacoma Center Motel'. _Way to be original…_

It was almost 3:30am now, and part of me was sceptical that we'd be able to get a room, despite the sign that flashed 'vacancies here' outside. Jake led the way, with my suitcase wheeling across the tarmac behind him. Actually, I couldn't wait to wash the sea water out my hair and change into some dry clothes, not to mention it was great to stretch my legs out properly. Jake definitely hadn't lost his ability to make big strides, and as he pushed open the reception door, a haze of both stale and fresh cigarette smoke greeted us along with the dull sound of a television. The chime of the bell above the door eventually brought a painfully skinny woman to the reception desk, with a half-burnt out cigarette lodged between her thin, purple-pink lips.

"We need a room," Jake announced, whilst the woman sized us both up and down. "Just for tonight."

Taking the cigarette between her two, long, thin fingers, the woman blew a puff of fresh smoke to the side. "Just passing through?" She asked.

"Yeah," a calm Jake replied. "What do you have available?"

If she was suspicious of my age as her stare lingered on me, she didn't say anything. Most likely she was just curious about my no doubt dishevelled appearance though. Picking up a room list, she tapped her cigarette in the nearby ashtray.

"I've gotta a single and a twin left."

Jacob didn't even hesitate. "We'll take the twin."

"That'll be sixty," she clarified, before turning to get the key off the wall. Just as Jacob started to absent-mindedly pat down his jean pockets, I quickly moved to my suitcase, scooped down, and unzipped the front pocket.

"You paying by cash or card?" She asked. By the time she turned back, a confused Jake had a wad of rolled up fifty dollar notes in his hand.

"Cash," he said. As he tried his best to casually pull out two fifties from the bunch, I nervously bit my lip as the woman suspiciously stared at me again.

"Do your parents know where you are and who you're with?" She suddenly asked, but the question was pointed directly at me. Forcing a calm smile her way, I instinctively snatched Jake's hand in mine to keep him calm and quiet, and girlishly giggled as I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Sure they do. I can even call them for you, if you like? Though, it is sort'a late to be waking them up…isn't it?" Digging my other hand into my dungaree front pocket anyway, I retrieved my phone but kept it poised in my hand as I challenged the nosy woman.

Thankfully, I didn't need to play the game any further, because the room key was flung on the desk. "You're in room 6."

Once Jake had his change, and we were clear of the reception, I finally let go of his hand with a relieved sigh. "Do I still look like you've dragged me through a bush?" I tried to joke. Peeking at Jake as he sucked a sharp breath through his teeth, he dug the hand I'd just been holding into his jeans pocket.

"Let's just hope the room doesn't have a mirror."

I whacked his arm, hard, but at the same time, we both laughed. After the emotional whirlwind of La Push, followed by racing home, only to be separated from my family and forced to leave Forks – not to mention almost biting Jake's head off in the car; this light-hearted moment of playfulness was _exactly_ what I needed. In that moment, I forgot about everything else, and it was just me and Jake again.

Then, he opened the door to our motel room, and I was back to the harsh reality of the situation as the door creaked open.

The smell hit me first – human body odour mixed with stale beer badly hidden behind a spray or two of lemon air freshener. Maybe that was enough to mask the scent for a human, but my hybrid nose was already scrunching. Then, as Jake – who clearly had a stronger constitution that me – stepped in to switch the light on, the room itself was lit up in a putrid, yellow coloured light.

 _Correction_ : A _flickering_ , putrid yellow light.

"I can't believe we just paid sixty bucks for this," I said out loud, as my eyes jumped from one piece of furniture to the next.

A single bedside table with a single, out-dated lamp, separated the two single beds. Matching cream sheets covered them, probably in an effort to make the room feel crisp and clean. I was more worried about Jake actually managing to fit on the bed though, since it looked so small in comparison to him. The room wasn't even worth forty bucks, and I dreaded to think what state the shower was in, as I noted the ensuite door opposite the beds. An old, bulky television sat on a chest of drawers, and there was a small wardrobe againt the other wall, together with a folded up ironing board.

"Well, it could be worse." Jake sighed, as he shut the door behind me and turned the key to lock us in. Aside from the dull drone of a television left on in the room next-door, I was now silently, painfully aware of the fact that it was now just Jake and I. There was no one here to eavesdrop on us; no one here to listen in to our very thoughts, or suddenly interrupt us at any given moment.

We were completely alone.

 _In a motel room_.

I swallowed back against the sudden lump in my throat, and willed myself to stop being so silly. It was _just_ a motel room.

"You wanna shower first?" Jake asked, before effortlessly lifting my suitcase and laying it along the bottom of the bed.

"Y-Yeah," I barely found my voice. "Unless you want to?"

"Nah." He grabbed the TV remote, and flopped down on the opposite bed. The sound of springs giving way to the slight bounce of his weight, had me making a mental note to be _very_ careful around the furniture.

The TV turned on, but neither of us expected the sudden moans and groans of a male and female in a compromising position to say the least, as the last watched channel appeared on screen.

"Yeah baby!" The woman cried, and I heard the bed give way again as Jake quickly sat up bolt upright to reach for the remote. "Yeah! Gimme that –"

And just like that, the channel switched over, to some kind of home cooking show hosted by an old woman with a southern drawl. I didn't think my eyes could get any wider after the surprise porno, but I was wrong, as I watched the woman dump practically a whole block of butter in a frying pan.

"Fuck's sake," Jake muttered under his breath, and I couldn't tell if he was cursing the surprise porno, or the woman's cooking, or just everything the room had to offer. I rarely heard Jake swear, since mom had been really strict about his language around me, and he didn't have much of a potty mouth anyway to begin with. So whenever I did hear him curse with the odd 'f' or 'b' under his breath, my cheeks always flushed with pink warmth; especially now that I knew what the words meant. So 'fuck' probably wasn't the best word to use, under the circumstances…

I wanted to be all casual and say something like: _It's not the first time I've seen porn Jake_. Like that brief second or two of copulation on the screen was no big deal. After all, I had the internet, and an overactive mind with an insatiable gluttony for knowledge. Only, what I didn't want him to know was that, whilst my mom's birds and the bees talk hadn't been enough to sate my curiosity, some of the porno results I'd found had been _too_ much information.

Deciding that even just hinting to Jake that I wasn't as naïve as he probably thought I was, was a _terribad_ idea, I finally unleashed the nervous giggle that had been building up alongside my thoughts. "I think that's more of a ' _fudge'_ sake…" I decided on some sassy innuendo instead, as I tilted my head to the side, trying to make out what the hell the rotund woman was frying up.

Jake must have got the hint though, because I could see his body stiffening mid-way as he leaned back again, and his eyes widening as he stared at me. Nonchalantly giving him the cold shoulder, I unzipped my suitcase in one fell swoop. This whole 'Renesmee's still too young to understand grown-up stuff' nonsense was _really_ getting old. For the hundredth time – I stopped being a kid _ages_ ago!

"Sorry," Jacob finally said, as he cleared his throat.

Sorry for _what_ , Jacob? You don't have to be sorry about anything.

"I just hate motels."

 _Oh._ "You mean…" My hand froze, as I voiced my thoughts out loud. "This isn't your first time? – Staying in a motel?" I dunno why I felt the need to quickly tag the rest on, other than the fact that the question sounded too obscure without it. At least, it did to me.

"Nah." Jake just casually responded, as he put his feet up on the bed and kicked his sneakers off.

"When?" I suddenly felt the need to pry. He twisted to fluff the pillows up behind him.

"I dunno – a while ago?" I bit my lip. Why did the idea of Jake staying over in some gross, seedy hotel somewhere, make me feel uneasy?

Why _wouldn't_ it.

"It was before you were born," he added. "Anyway, I thought you were taking a shower?"

Quickly looking back down at the contents of my neat and densely packed suitcase, my hand quickly resumed sorted through the files of clothing. "I am, soon as I find a towel."

I found one, but pretended that I hadn't, as I timidly tried to continue the conversation. "So… why did you? Stay in a motel, I mean."

Jake had an amazingly understanding dad, and their father-son relationship was pretty enviable, so I couldn't imagine him ever running away from home at any point. Whenever the movies showed people staying in motels, it was either because they were running away from the cops, having a sordid affair, or in the case of 'Psycho', about to murder someone. I couldn't imagine Jake being guilty of any of those reasons.

"Does it matter?"

I yanked the towel free and looked up to stare at him. He was avoiding me though, as he just stared at the TV, still pointing the remote at the screen.

"If it didn't, you wouldn't be avoiding the question." His eyes flicked to me then, and I knelt down on what I guessed would be 'my' bed for the night. After his stare dropped to the towel I was now clutching against my chest, he suddenly sighed heavily, and shifted to rest his head back against his raised forearm.

"Because, I had this… really dumb idea, of trying to just, live out the rest of my life, as the wolf. But eventually I kept changing back and thinking about it some more, and then, I wound up in a motel."

Once he managed to get his struggling words out, I tried to close my gaping mouth, but couldn't really do anything about the frown that was forming on my brow. "But… why would you want to be stuck as the wolf, Jacob?"

He sighed again, and this time, I could hear the agitation in his voice. This clearly wasn't something he wanted to talk about, and I guess he could've just told me to mind my own business and back off but… he didn't. He could've just lied too, but I knew that he wasn't. I couldn't help but feel a warming sensation course through me, as he proved yet again how much he trusted me. It was beyond comforting.

"I was going through a rough time," he finally explained, only his tone was careful now. "Your… mom and dad were… suddenly getting married and… I felt pulled in two directions. I wasn't sure if I was coming, or going."

 _Oh_. This time though, I didn't speak my thoughts out loud, as I wondered why anyone would run away, if their so-called 'best friend' was getting married.

That's when it suddenly hit me, like a stabbing pain in my chest. A thought that I'd never really dwelled on before, because I'd never really had enough reason to even ponder it.

What would _I_ do if _Jacob_ ever got married? After all, he was my best friend. My arms hugged the soft, fluffy towel closer to my chest, and I didn't care that I was probably squeezing sand and salt-water into it. My actions apparently didn't escape Jacob's notice though, because he was suddenly leaning up on one, bent elbow.

"Like I said, it was dumb. I came back in time to be here for Bella's wedding, and after a while, everything made sense to me. So yeah… it didn't matter, in the end."

Yet his words only helped my worst fears evolve, as my thoughts turned back to _why_ Jacob had reacted that way. Because I'd reached the conclusion that if _he_ ever wanted to get married to… someone, I'd probably freak out too and want to run away from it all. Thankfully, Jake never seemed to have any girlfriends or anything, even though I'd occasionally looked at Leah and caught myself wondering if there was or ever had been something there between them.

Snapping myself out of _that_ stray thought though, I suddenly levelled my eyes on his. "Jake? Did you… _not_ want my parents, to get married?"

There. I'd said it, and he suddenly leaned up a little further on his arm as a result. " _Wh-What_?"

I think that, my next follow-up question, was going to be the strangest and hardest question I'd ever asked him, because in doing so; I was admitting something else to myself, and _that_ was going to potentially scare me even more than what his answer might be.

"Did you… have _feelings_ , for my _mom_?"

 _Please say no_ , my pleading eyes practically begged him, but as I watched him sit up slowly, I knew he was preparing both himself and me, for the answer I _didn't_ want to hear. With a sigh, he leaned forwards, placing his elbows on his knees. I thought he was finally going to speak, but instead, he pinched the wide bridge of his nose, whilst his shoulders lifted with his deep inhale. I wanted to reach out, and touch him. Tell him that it was okay, even though that would be the biggest lie I've ever told. But if it meant making him feel better, then I told myself that I could shoulder the dishonesty on my shoulders.

He didn't let me though, because he was suddenly rising up on his feet, and dragging his hand through his hair as he turned to pace around the bed. For a second, I thought he was going to punch or kick the bathroom door, but he just stopped to face it, with his hands on his narrow hips.

"Jake – " I tried to calm him down, but he cut me off with his dead-serious and firm voice.

"I don't _love_ Bella."

It was final, like a fact torn from the page of a book, and he finally turned to hold me eyes with his equally firm glare. "Not… like _that_."

I suddenly felt incredibly light, like a weight had been lifted from me, and I could now float serenely with the warmth that expanded in my belly. He didn't have feelings for my mom! I wanted to scream it from my lungs, and rush to him. Say sorry for doubting him and –

"But… I did."

My breath hitched, and then got completely stuck in my throat.

"At least, I _thought_ I did. She was the first girl I ever properly noticed. I mean, sure, we'd briefly known each other when we were kids, until she moved away. But then, she was back, and all grown up. We both were."

I didn't know what to say. In fact, right now, I don't think I could have said anything, even if I did have the words at my disposal. My throat felt tight and constricted by my swelling emotion. I suddenly felt jealousy rearing her ugly head, as I remembered how my mom had eventually been the one to chase after Jacob after he'd ran. When they both came back to the house, he'd been calmer. I hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but it hurt me now, to think that Jake could be calmed by someone else, besides _me_.

It hurt to think that he was only protecting me now, as a favour to her. Hadn't he said that he'd promised her, back in the car?

"It was just a teen crush, Nessie." I heard him still trying to reassure me, but I couldn't look up at him. Not yet. "I mean, sure I love her now but, _only_ as a friend. Nothing else. Nothing _more_ than that. She's just… Bella."

Those words should have put a lid on the question and my anxieties once and for all, but whilst I was satisfied with Jake's brutal honesty, my mind was too busy toying with his phrasing, to feel completely at ease. In fact, I was more anxious than ever before.

 _We_ were best friends. _We_ had known each other since _we_ were just kids. Sure it was a little different, since he'd known me ever since I'd been born but, there had also been something equally boyish about him, whilst I was growing up. Like we were growing up together. So… was what I was feeling for Jake now, nothing more than _just_ a teen crush? Would I too eventually grow out of my feelings, and come to think of him as _just_ Jacob? Even though he never had been 'just' Jacob to me, and to think of him now so insignificantly like that just felt... wrong. Could I be happy for him, if he eventually found 'proper' love? The kind that's so much _more_ than just, juvenile, teenage hormones? The kind of irrevocable love my parents share, and my aunts and uncles, and my grand-parents?

My chest hurt, and my stomach clenched uneasily. I felt like I'd just been brutally rejected, even though Jake's words had been aimed at my mom, not me. Indirectly though, I felt like I was hurt by association. I was hurt because he'd already experienced first love, whereas I was still just clumsily fumbling my way through the dark.

I wish there was a book that could explain my feelings to me better than I can. I'd read it thousand times over in a heartbeat, if it could help me understand why I was such a … a…. _a fucking emotional wreck!_

"N-Ness?"

At the unsure sound of my name on his tongue, I suddenly looked up, and pushed myself off the bed, and onto my feet. "It's ok Jake," I lied... "I'm fine!" …To both of us. "Just… processing."

Forcing a strained smile in his direction, my eyes darted to the bathroom door, and I grabbed my hairbrush. "I think I'll take that shower now."

For a second, I panicked as I thought that Jake wasn't going to let me move past him, or clear a gap even. But to my relief, he decided to snap his jaw tightly shut, and stepped away from the door with a defeated sound.

"Ok…"

I think I almost pulled the damn thing off its squeaking hinges, and I swear I snapped the wooden frame as I pushed the door shut against it. Dashing over to the tiny, perfectly square shower cubicle, I barely managed to twist the knob and turn the water on, before my shoulders convulsed and my own waterworks were set free in a surprised flood.

 _Stop it!_ I tried to order myself to pull it together, as I kicked my sneakers off to hear them bang unintentionally against the door. In a further attempt to choke back and ignore my tears, I started to frantically unclothe myself. I heard the sprinkle of dry sand against the floor as my dungarees dropped to my feet, and even more sand falling, as I roughly started to practically tear the brush through my tangled and dried-up locks.

"You're such a stupid – damn – pathetic – _moron_ –!" I hissed, hoping that the noisy shower covered my voice as I cursed myself with every swipe of my hairbrush, until it snagged in my hair and the handle completely snapped in my hand. " _Damn_ it!"

Dropping the broken handle in the sink, I more carefully eased the other broken half out of my hair. Once I'd freed it from my relentless tangles, I chucked it in the sink too, and then pressed my palms against the curved edge. Leaning forwards, with shoulder-blades squeezed together, I finally looked at myself in the mirror.

Holy heaven and hell, _I'm a mess_. Not just because my hair looks like it's been backcombed for Halloween, but my chocolate brown eyes are all puffy and glazed over, my button nose is all red, and there are already tear stains down my rosy cheeks. Casting my gaze down at myself, standing there in nothing but my t-shirt and panties, I tentatively touched my fingertips to my waist, just below my ribs, but above the swell of my hips. _Jake's_ hand had touched me there. I don't know what I expected to happen by touching the same spot, but I _do_ know that my skin didn't tingle, like it had when _he'd_ touched me there – and that had been with my dungarees on to boot. Moving my hand down to the edge of my t-shirt, I pulled it up past my belly button first, and then yanked it over my head in one clean motion. Letting it drop on the tiled floor, I stared at my bare naked chest. I hadn't bothered wearing a sports bra for La Push, since my breasts are small and perky enough to get away with not needing the support.

Putting my hands on my hips, I frowned back at myself. In the movies, guys always notice girl's curves – even when they don't even want or mean to. Apparently they just can't help the urge to stare down a girl's top, so why didn't Jake notice _me_ like that? Did he _still_ just see me as a child? No, that was just ridiculous! Narrowing my eyes at myself, I swelled with determination, to _make_ him see me for what I am. But then, my insecurities lurked again. Would I still be nothing more to him than a _ward_ to babysit and protect, at the behest of my mother?

But Jake, you've made promises to _me_ too.

A cruel inner voice tried to tell me that it was still nothing more than an 'unrequited crush', so I finally cast my back on my own reflection, and pushed my panties down before stepping into the shower. The water was only _just_ warm, but I didn't care. I closed my eyes tightly shut, and let the water wash down my salt-licked face. Only then, did I refuse to let anymore useless sobs break free. It's not like crying my eyes out will suddenly force Jake to return my feelings.

Bracing my hand against the wall, I tried to catch my fluttering breath. The easiest solution would be to just _tell_ him. To talk to him about how I feel and get a straight answer from him on the subject once and for all. How was I going to do that though, when I could barely face up to just the idea of going back out there now, and being in the same room as him? I'm a fairly decent actress when I need to be, but I'm not _that_ good.

I suddenly heard the faint click of a door, and froze completely.

 _Jake?_

Almost tearing the water knob off the wall as I turned the shower off, I could hear nothing behind the bathroom door, except for the sound of that annoying southern woman, still rambling on about her terrible cooking.

"Jake?" I called his name out loud this time, and wait for a response.

But in return, there was nothing...

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 8: "Like a Moth to the Flame"_


	8. Chapter 8: Like a Moth to the Flame

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. A slightly later update than usual, but for some reason, this was a more difficult chapter to get through in just one sitting. Still, I persisted and slept on it a bit, and now I think it's finally ready. Bizzarely, it's the shortest chapter so far, but defintiely doesn't feel that way to me.  
_

 _On an entirely separate note though, I wish I knew why some reviews aren't showing up properly here? Hopefully it's just a site glitch that'll be fixed soon! Also, if you've made it this far since chapter 1, then I'd love to know what you think so far :)_

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: "Like a Moth to the Flame"**

In the blink of an eye, the bathroom door was flung open, and I now stood in the middle of the bedroom in nothing but my towel wrapped around my soaking wet body. I could hear the droplets of water from my hair drip-dripping rapidly onto the carpet beneath me, and the sole voice of that southern woman still cooking away on TV. I could hear a car slowly pulling up outside, followed by the echoed sounds of two women vacating the vehicle. They walked on clattering high heels towards their own room for the night, chatting and giggling about their night out. If I listened harder, I'd be able to hear the buzzing wings of a mosquito stalking the scent of their crimson nectar, and the electrifying spark of a moth flying too close to a lamp overhead. The one thing I couldn't hear though, was Jacob. Not his breathing, or his regular heartbeat, or the inevitable growl of his stomach as it revealed his usual hunger for a midnight snack.

My eyes frantically observed the room, looking for a sign or a clue as to where he'd disappeared to, or more importantly, _why_. The sheets on his bed where still creased, and there was still a slight dent in both the mattress and the pillow where he'd laid back. The TV remote was still on the bed where he'd left it, and my suitcase was still wide open over on my bed, just as I'd left it. There was only one clue to draw a conclusion from, as my eyes looked down to the bottom of his bed.

His shoes were gone.

Maybe he'd just gone outside for some air? I rushed to the window, and peeked through the stiff, metal blinds. My eyes searching for movement in the car park beyond.

 _Nothing._

That was the last time I began to think logically, as I moved to my case in the blink of an eye, and grabbed the first items of clothing I laid my hands on. A sleeveless, plain white t-shirt was pulled over my head as I dropped my towel, only to step straight into a pair of loosely fitted denim shorts. No time to fish out some underwear or a bra, and I didn't even both to put my shoes on as rushed to the main door. Only, as I turned the knob and pulled, the door didn't open. Instead, the brass knob came away from the wood slightly, under the force of my inhuman strength.

 _He locked me in!?_

My pulse accelerated a fraction more. Was that to keep me safe whilst he was gone, or to stall me in my attempt follow after him!? My panicking brain chose the latter, but a locked door wasn't going to stop me from hunting him down. He'd have to try a lot harder than that to ever keep me from him. One simple pull towards me not only broke the lock; it also almost unhinged the door entirely, but I didn't stop to care or think about the damage I'd just caused to the property. Instead, I clumsily pushed the door shut behind me, and then tried to move as slowly as I possibly could through the courtyard and into the carpark. Whereas I felt like I was just power-walking, to the human eye, I was running. To my utter relief, the car was still parked, which meant he was still on foot.

There was only one reliable clue that remained, that could still lead me straight to Jacob: _His scent_. It had still lingered in the motel room, and now, as I stopped in the middle of the main, square carpark, I inhaled deeply to catch hold of my next direction. Following my nose, I was lead to the edge of the street, and then, looked left. He'd gone that way, and recently too, from the smell of it.

"Hey! Sugar tits!"

I instantly froze. _Sugar tits_?

At this time in the morning, the partially sleeping city was still full of vibrant life, and even now, I could feel the strong, baseline vibrations of music in the not so far distance. I hadn't however, paid any attention to the small group of young men hanging out across the street, until my piqued curiosity encouraged me to stare over at the source of the shouting.

"Yeeeah, you!"

… _Me?_

"The hottie in the sh-short-shorts."

One guy was helping to keep the loud mouthed one standing upright, whilst the third was lagging behind, and looked a bit queasy and unsteady on his jelly-like legs. This, alongside the slurred speech and rosy cheeks, told me that they'd all been drinking. The loudest of the three grinned now he had my brief attention, and called me over again. Regardless of the stench of distilled water and ethanol mixed with beer that drifted towards me; I already knew that I didn't care for his face or his company.

"Wanna come to a sick party? We got beer!"

That was a charming choice of words, considering the state of his other friend over there, and why did he think that beer would convince me to follow? I didn't need to even listen to my gut reaction, which was screaming right now to avoid these idiots, because I wasn't even going to grace them with the sound of my voice. Instead, I ignorantly turned away to re-focus on Jake's scent. My bare feet started walking –

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" I heard the man should after me, but even if he was stupid enough to keep following, I knew that I would barely even need to run to avoid him. All three of them could barely even walk straight.

"Dude, c'mon." Said the one who didn't look like he was about to throw up. "She's jail bait man."

I could still hear them being rowdy behind me, but just like everything else around me, nothing else mattered right now, except for finding Jacob. My thoughts came crashing back to me as I pressed on down the street: that it was _my_ fault he'd bolted and ran. _I_ was the one who'd pushed him to tell me about difficult and complicated events from the past, that didn't even matter anymore. After all, my parents were blissfully devoted to one another, and I believed it when Jake said he didn't have any other feelings for my mom. Still, I'd scared him away with my constant questions and prodding for more information, and when I should've just smiled and accepted the fact that he obviously just cared for my mom a great deal as a friend, I'd more or less given him the cold shoulder instead.

Maybe he was tired of being stuck with me already, and wanted to return to the pack so he could rip the heads of the Romanian Coven. I couldn't blame him, if that was the reason, but the least he could've done was take me home with him! Promise or no promise to my parents.

Thankfully, just as I started to panic that he'd ran a circle around the motel to give himself more time to get away, I turned the corner, and my heart literally stopped.

There he was, rushing out of the gas station convenience store on the other side of the street, with a brown paper bag tucked under one arm. Yet his steps abruptly faltered as he paused to suddenly stare at me with sheer surprise parting his pout and lifting his brows over widening eyes. His dark stare swept over me in sheer disbelief, seeming to slowly scan up and down my body as he processed the fact that I was _actually_ here, standing across the street from him.

Barely even stopping to check left and right before he jogged across the street, I was continually pulled towards him on a magnetic collision course; like a moth to the flame. Already, I could feel the world centre around me again, as everything slipped back into its proper alignment.

"The hell are you doing!?" He finally rasped at me, as we stopped barely inches away from each other.

"L-Looking for you!?" I snap retorted, dropping my relieved gaze to the loaded bag he carried before looking back up. "What the hell were you thinking just – _leaving_ without even telling me?! Do you even know how _scared_ I was?"

It didn't occur to me that I sounded like a possessive stalker, obsessive over the fact that the one person who kept me grounded had suddenly disappeared. I guess, if the details preceding his disappearing act had been different, I would have – and should have, in hindsight – just waited for him to come back to me. Instead, here we were, and here I was, trying my best to be perfectly sane about the fact that I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving me. Yet from the way that he glared back at me so incredulously, I figured I was failing on my part to be anything but sane in reaction.

"Ness, I was barely gone five minutes." His voice was strained, as he tried his best to be the calm and collected one. "I didn't think you'd be out the shower before I got back."

I was about to counter-attack by telling him that he should have _said_ something before leaving, or left a note to calm me down before I inevitably jumped to conclusions. Yet as I opened my mouth, a car raced past us. My voice was therefore drowned out by the beeping horn, accompanied by a wolf whistle out the window. Jake's nostrils flared as his head snapped towards the offender, and he briefly turned with the motion of his head, to follow the direction of the speeding car. I heard the warning growl rumbling in his throat, and lowered my eyes to see his fist tightening into a ball at his side. Rather than go chasing after the car though – which he easily could have – he suddenly turned back to me. Before I knew it, his hand was roughly grasping my wrist and I was being tugged along as he started power-walking back to the motel.

"I dunno what the _hell_ you were thinking, stepping outside looking like... like _this_!" He snapped, and the pressure of his thumb digging into my flesh was almost painful, but it almost reminded me that he was real and he was here with me, where he belonged. As I lagged behind, he gave me a tug to keep up.

"We're not in Forks anymore," he continued to lecture without even looking at me. Instead, his glare was fixed ahead, whilst the drum of his heartbeat kept in rhythm with his purposeful strides. "You can't just –"

For whatever reason, he swallowed back whatever word that was meant to follow, and finally glanced over his shoulder at me. " _Geez_ , Nessie, you can't run around the streets on your own at three in the goddamn morning! Do you – do you have any idea what kind of – do you even _know_ what – "

Shaking his head, he gave up trying to give spluttering words to his rising voice. I still didn't know why he was getting so worked up about all this. Yes, I know the city was dangerous and yes, my mom and dad had both stressed that I 'shouldn't talk to strangers.' I'm part of Team Hybrid though. It's not like a human could ever hurt me...

As we finally stopped outside the motel room door, I thought he was done chastising me for one night. But as he dug his hand in his jeans pocket for the key, his eyes lowered to take proper notice of my bare feet.

"Where are your shoes?"

"Erm…" Under his scrutiny, I caught myself lifting my toes and then curling them, before offering a gesturing to the room with my eyes. "In there?" Did it matter? We _both_ used to run around the forest in bare feet without a care, so what was the difference!?

He sighed, finally retrieving the key from his pocket. "Of course they are…" Only, as he trailed off to slide the key in the hole, the door slowly creaked open just from minor contact.

"I… had a little accident, with the door." I sheepishly explained, as he stared ahead with furrowing brows and a tightening jaw.

"Just… get inside." I did, and he immediately followed behind me, albeit struggling not to break the door completely as he pushed it firmly shut.

Standing in the middle of the room, I hugged my arms against my torso, as I silently watching him, trying to think of something – _anything_ to say. Meanwhile, he just brushed past me as he dropped the brown, paper bag next to the TV, and then paused to rest his hands on his hips. Only now, as I fixed my gaze on his back, did I realise how silly I'd been. Abruptly, his hand shot to the TV, and the sound completely cut off, whilst the screen faded to black.

"Go wash your feet." He ordered rather than suggested, with his back still facing me. "I need a sec to… calm down."

Paranoia that he was going to bolt again had me leaving the bathroom door open, as I turned the shower on. I could still hear him struggling with the rattling blinds though, and at a guess, the loud 'click' was him opening the one and only window in the room. Balancing on my left leg, I placed my right heel on the slower tub floor and bent forwards to scrub the bottom of my foot. It was actually pretty gross how dirty the water ran as I rubbed only a few minutes of city grime away from my skin. When I switched feet, I even managed to peel away a shard of flat glass from my skin. It was just stuck to the arch, like a piece of scrap paper. I'd barely even noticed it, until it was now in plain sight.

Grabbing one of the hand towels provided by the motel, I dried my feet and my legs up to the knees, where water had still splashed. Looking over my shoulder as I bent forwards, I just about caught sight of Jacob pacing back towards the window, like a lion slowly prowling. His hands were still on his hips, and his eyes were downcast beneath his frown. I couldn't decide which Jacob worried me more: the quietly brooding type, or the quietly seething. All I know is, I was repulsed and repelled by either one.

Stopping in the doorway, I leaned against the frame and just… stared at him. I never got tired of looking at his back, but as he leaned his arms on the windowsill and let the cool, night air wash over him, I felt that his mood had transitioned from angry, to rueful. Beneath the tight t-shit he wore – the same one I'd gifted to him just hours ago; I could see his muscles were bunched, and he probably already had a knot at the back of his neck. I wanted nothing more than to walk over to him, and untie those knots with my own hands, rather than watch him constantly try to rub the discomfort away. Instead, his quiet voice pinned me in place.

"Nessie," he started, seemingly a lot calmer and in control now. "I've _never_ lied to you, and I don't ever want to, but… I'm starting to _wish_ I could take back what I said, ten minutes ago. About me and… Bella."

Guilt fell heavy on my shoulders, and I swallowed back as it reached up with a ghostly hand to squeeze my throat. "I don't," I simply said.

Though I was initially surprised by his decision to tackle what was inevitably an unfinished conversation about him and my mom, I didn't fight against it. Instead, I moved closer then, but didn't say any more until I was standing beside him at the window. Elbows resting on the wood, I stretched my arms out so that I could feel the cooler air kiss my skin. I was starting to think that the stench of the room behind us was to blame for all this, because even when partially dipped outside, I could think with more clarity.

"I'm glad you told me," I admitted to him at last. Not just him – I was admitting it to myself as well. "About… my mom and everything. I don't want either of us to ever feel like we need to lie to one another."

Words I would probably soon regret, because lately, I was actually becoming quite the liar. What I meant was, whilst I didn't want him to ever lie to me, _period_ , I also wished that I didn't _need_ to lie to him; just to keep our precious friendship safe. As much as I wanted to tell him exactly _why_ I was so relieved about him not being in love with my mom, I settled for the cowardly way out.

"Then… you're not mad at me?" He carefully asked, and I almost laughed at just the notion.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Maybe if he had lied to me, only for me to find out the truth later on, then sure, I'd be fuming at him. Telling the bare naked truth though, took a great deal of courage, or so I'd read countless times from various authors. It was the type of courage that I didn't have.

"Ness," he paused to inhale a shake breath. Shifting slightly, he turned his body to lean sideways against the windowsill, so that he faced me full on. "I want you to know that you can ask me anything you need or want, and I'll answer, always."

There were still a lot of things I did want to ask, like… had he ever been on a date with my mom? Had they ever kissed? Had he ever even told her how he felt, or had he suffered in silence?

Swallowing back, I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. All of those questions made me feel uneasy, as the green eyed monster lurked in my twisting gut. It was stupid of me to think that a man like Jacob had never loved in all his twenty-three years, and ridiculous to think that anyone couldn't love him in return. Absent-mindedly, I started to turn the handmade friendship bracelet that adorned my wrist. Ever since Jake had gifted it to me on my first ever Christmas, I don't think I'd taken it off. If I could tan in the sun, I'd probably have a permanent tan-line of my natural, milky skin beneath it. A new question burned in my mind as I turned it though, and the words left my lips with a numb sensation on my tongue.

"Did she – did my mom ever… love _you_?"

Strong arms lifted, and he crossed them against his chest as he stared down, tucking his dimpled chin under. I could tell that he was uncomfortable, and almost told him _not_ to answer, but he did.

"She always loved Edward more."

I was… somewhat relieved by that admission, but I wasn't sure if that fully answered my question? It wasn't a yes but, it wasn't a no either. Surprisingly though, Jake just scoffed to himself.

"He even tried to give her a choice – tried to stop her from being with him but, Bella was pretty much _made_ to be a vampire." He paused to carefully lift his eyes to me, and I don't know why but, my heart skipped under the pressure of his dark gaze. "She and Edward were just…. meant to be. I guess you can call it destiny or whatever."

With another ironic smile to himself, he shook his head and for a moment, seemed to hug his arms a little tighter around his frame. As though he was… reassuring himself? I couldn't help but can't my head at him slightly, as I tried to figure out what it was that had suddenly seemed to lighten his mood.

"Oh..." I tried to find more significant words but, I was feeling a little a lost. There was only one, pressing question that I needed to ask. "So, does anyone else know, about all of this?"

It didn't reassure him though, like I thought it would. Even now, he could have opted to feign indifference, but he didn't. He just closed his eyes a moment, and then cautiously peered my way.

"It's hardly a secret, Ness. You think having Edward listening into your thoughts is bad enough? Try having the entire pack share your every single waking thought, and vice versa. Wolf telepathy, remember?"

 _Oh_. I'd forgotten about that. It made more sense to me if he needed the clarity and the silence away from the rest of the pack, but…

"Could they still hear you though?" I tentatively asked. "When you ran away?"

"Yeah," he uttered. "They could hear me alright, but I could hear them too; asking when I was gonna 'man up' and get over myself and come home again." He huffed an ironic laugh, and looked down at his hands. "It's funny… your body prepares you for the first time that you phase into the wolf, but it takes a while for your brain to catch up."

I smiled then, because if anything, I was the complete opposite to that. Even though I'd physically aged at an accelerated rate, my brain had still managed to stay one step ahead. If anything, it was my body that had to do the catching up. It comforted me though, to know that we shared a lot in common, and my resentment towards his confused feelings about my mother just… melted away.

"Well… I'm _glad_ you came back. I'm glad that you and mom could still be friends. If you hadn't, how would we ever have met?"

Even though it was quiet, the breath I heard him slowly exhale then was a clear sign of his relief; as if he was pushing all the rueful air out of his lungs. Finally, I felt his eyes lower to me, and I echoed with mine lifting up to his. A small smile touched the corners of my lips, and his expression softened in return.

"It would've happened anyway, _eventually_."

I liked to think so too, but I was just glad that we'd met sooner rather than later. I treasured every moment I'd shared with Jacob, and I hated to think that in another life, things could have been different, if he'd made another decision.

" _Anyway_. I'm sorry I yelled at you, back there." He somewhat changed the subject to our more recent conflict, and I averted my eyes again. "It's just… we have to be more careful, and not just whenever we're in a town or city. The slightest wrong move can draw attention, and that's one thing neither of us need right now."

"I know." I sighed, and dropped my shoulders. "I know it was stupid, and that I wasn't thinking straight, but -" Expelling a frustrated breath as words actually failed me for once, I hung my head. "I was so scared that... you'd decided to go back home and protect the pack maybe or… that I'd pushed you too far and… you didn't want to come back."

" _Wha_ t!?" The reaction was instant. "Why would you even –"

The moment that my front teeth tugged at my lower lip, he seemed to suddenly pause, rewind, and try a different approach.

"Nessie, where you go, I go, remember?" He huffed a louder sigh this time, laced with his frustration. "When are you going to understand that?"

As he pushed his upper body away from the window, and turned to rest his back against it instead. Smiling to myself, I playfully nudged my hip against his, alongside my verbal attempt to lighten the mood.

"Maaaybe when I'm fifty?"

Jake looked down at me, and then folded his arms with a lop-sided smirk. "I hope not."

Smirking back, I flipped so that I too faced into the room now, and made a thoughtful 'mm' sound against my closed mouth, as I started to count on my fingers. "Which would be... another nineteen years?"

He furrowed his brows as he glanced at me, a little confused at first, but then with a short chuckle, he shook his head. "You're killing me."

Moving away from the wall then, I watched contentedly as he walked towards the bathroom door. "I'm gonna take a shower," he announced.

Nodding, I waited for the door to shut before I hugged my arms around me, and leaned my head back with a long sigh. Normally, I'd marvel at a sky that was filled with this many stars, but as I gazed up, all I could think about was how glad I was, that we'd managed to iron out our differences. I knew now that I'd be able to get some decent rest, before we took to the road again.

I also knew that I didn't want to stay in any more cheap motels. I made a note to count the money that Alice and Jasper had provided us with, so I could start thinking about budgeting for our road trip. For now though, I made my way over to my bed; though not before peeking into the paper brown bad Jacob had brought back with him. There were two more bottles of water in there, along with some red apples – my favourite; some beef jerky –actually a lot of beef jerky; a bag of giant cookies, a bag of Dorito's extra hot chips, and two bars of Hershey's. In other words, Jake had gone out to buy some snacks.

 _Typical_.

Finding a comb in my suitcase, I took some time getting the rest of the knots out my hair, and then towel-dried it as much as I could. Whilst I could still hear the shower on, I found my 'Team Halfblood' pyjamas, and tried not to smirk at the constant joke too much, as I got changed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I folded up my discarded clothes, only just now realising that I'd left my beach clothes in the bathroom still. Oh! … _Crap_ – I hope I hadn't left my bra and panties in plain sight! Flushing red at the thought of Jacob absent-mindedly tripping on them or something, I tried to nonchalantly shrug the rest of my humiliation aside. It wasn't like I could just barge in there now and pick them up.

Distracting myself with the contents of my suitcase, I checked through all the things Rosalie had packed for me, taking note of the two pairs of jeans in addition to the shorts. There were also three different t-shirts, and a plain, sleeveless sundress, with a rounded neck and front-buttons down to the waist, where the skirt flared out slightly. It definitely had Rosalie written all over it, since the white bodice was embroidered in cotton patterns, whereas the skirt material had a purple flower petal pattern around the hemline. It was cute but, not really 'me'. There were also a pair of jeans, cut off shorts, and two tank tops which looked like they once belonged to Emmett, and I guessed that Rose had been nice enough to give Jake a change of clothes too… even if they did look like they might actually be too big on him. There was also a bag with some toiletries in, and two toothbrushes. Right at the bottom of the case was some spare underwear, a t-shirt bra, and… _I flushed_ – some briefs for Jake too.

Satisfied that we probably wouldn't need to go clothes or drug store shopping any time soon, I closed and pushed the case off the bed, and lay back. Aside from a few lumps in the pillows, it was actually quite comfortable, and I guess the softer cotton of my PJs helped lull me into a more relaxed state. When the bathroom door finally opened, and Jake emerged in his jeans and t-shirt, I had a huge map spread out in front of me with Alice and Jasper's thickly drawn red line showing the quickest route from Forks to Mill Creek. They'd even put notations of how long it should take us to reach each city, along with the mileage involved. To say it was 'accurate' was an understatement.

"Lemmie guess," Jake started as collapsed down on the bed. "The psychic reckons we should be half way across the States already."

"Not quite," I lightly chuckled. "But we should probably head for Montana tomorrow. Alice made me promised to be out of Washington State by tomorrow night, and it's about a seven hour drive from here to Missoula."

"Mis _soula_?"

"Mmhmm…" Prompted by the conversation to finally pick up my phone, I started to text Alice our progress so far as I continued. "There's plenty of forest nearby, so I was thinking maybe we could stop for a while, so I can hunt?"

The fact that Jasper had marked the forests with the words 'elk' and 'deer' was enough to have my mouth watering. We'd all planned to go hunting together on Wednesday night, but I didn't want to chance waiting that long, now that plans had drastically changed. Even though I'd learnt to be satisfied with the 'vegetarian' lifestyle, that didn't mean I still didn't crave human blood. If I was going to be in contact with humans more from now on, then I need to be certain that my cravings are kept under control.

"Sounds like a plan," Jacob agreed, after yawning loud. Hitting the 'send' button on my text message, I rolled onto my side to face him, taking note of his jeans.

"Rosalie packed some clothes for you too." My announcement actually had him turning his head, and quirking his brow in genuine disbelief.

"She _did_?" He and Rosie 'tolerated' each other, but occasionally she still gave in to the temptation to be petty, whereas Jake's smart mouth always knew how to wind her up.

"Mmhmm…" I heard my phone vibrate already, but ignored it for the time being. "So… don't you want to sleep in something more comfortable?"

"Nah, s'ok."

Wrinkling my nose at him, I lifted my phone and read Alice's reply text: _'You're only in Tacoma!?'_ The next bit I laughed at, before reading out loud. "Alice says to 'tell the doggie to step it up. We should be on the State border already.'"

Rolling onto his side, so his back faced me, Jake groaned as he hugged the pillow to him head. "Tell her I said 'missing you too' kiss kiss."

I did, along with my own more genuine sentiments, and then set the phone down again, not expecting another reply tonight.

"Can you set your alarm for 7?"

" _7_!?" I practically squeaked. "As in… 7 A M!?" That was barely three solid hours from now!

"Yeah, I wanna get a head start tomorrow..." A yawn interrupted before Jake could correct himself. "I mean, today." Then he fidgeted, trying to get comfortable. " _Whatever.._. G'night Ness."

I smiled back, and reached over to turn the lamp off. "Night, Jacob."

As I closed my eyes to the sight of Jacob just an arm's reach away from me, I couldn't help but smile to myself. We'd survived our first night in a motel together, albeit with a few hiccups. Tomorrow we'd be hitting the road again, but this time, I decided to do a lot more research into where we'd be staying for the night. I could see the road map in my head even now; a solid line from Montana to South Dakota, through to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana , Ohio and finally, West Virginia. So long as we stayed on course, would it really be so bad if we maybe did a little sightseeing along the way? After all, what was the point in going on this long road trip, if we weren't going to make the most of it?

I know I should have been worrying more about my family, rather than getting all excited about being able to spend this time alone with Jacob. Tomorrow evening, I already knew that I'd be a nervous wreck, waiting for the phone call from home. I tossed and turned, trying to keep my thoughts even, rather than stress over a future that was yet to play out. Yet against my expectations, the carefree sound of Jake's gentle and perfectly even breathing eased my frown away, and lulled me into an utterly peaceful rest.

 _Missoula, here we come_.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 9: "Into the Wild"_


	9. Chapter 9: Into the Wild

_Disclaimer_ _: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. I'm gonna spoil you all with another update already, simply because this was a lot easier to write ^.^ It's also taken the place of the shortest chapter so far, but hopefully the content makes up for that. I'm also not a believer in forcing things, especially not for a higher word count, so I just wrote until the paragraph came to a natural stop. On a side note: Reviews still aren't showing up I'm afraid, but thankfully I get them all to my e-mail, so thank you for the continued support!_

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 9: "Into the Wild"**

 _Two figures walked side by side, as they ascended a mountain covered by greenery and budding wild flowers. At first, I could only see their legs moving in perfectly co-ordinated steps; as though they traversed the land as one sole being. Yet my sight slowly journeyed up their bodies, past the definition of a strong and broad back in comparison to a more slender physique. Her back was part concealed by the cascade of long, amber curls that caught the rays of sunlight occasionally filtering in through gaps in the trees. His was onyx black, and pointing in various, tousled directions._

" _Jacob…" I heard my own voice hoarsely whisper._

 _We stopped at the top of the hill, and my hand reached for his. The sky turned rose tinted and warm as we were both kissed by the sublime beauty of the summer skies stretching out above us. Yet as my gaze finally lifted to capture his dark eyes beneath a relaxed brow , the world turned upside down on its' axis. Summer merged into winter, as the incandescence was drained into a stark white canvas. A single droplet of crimson red, spilled onto the blanket of snow. That one spec of bold colour began to spread, overtaking the canvas like a droplet of paint in water._

 _Suddenly, something snatched me up and tore me away, and I was flying backwards into the abyss of a cold and starless night sky beyond. I lost all sense of gravity, as I was pulled in a seemingly aimless direction and yet, I felt safe. My very soul seemed to leave my very body as I floated, past the great expanse of tree tops, and over the canopy where a lake silently rested. Yet I kept on going, until I reached the edge of a cliff top, and balanced precariously on the edge until finally, I fell. Down, down, down… the great fall seemed to last an age, until the raging ocean finally caught me in her arms, and wrapped me in a sheet of pearl white._

 _I writhed, and stretched my limbs, and then rolled over, to be caught by strong arms. He pulled my torso against his, to touch skin against skin in the sensual contrast of milk and cinnamon. I heard myself sigh as I rolled backwards again; taking him with me this time, until his muscular form almost completely shielded my body from sight. All except for the occasional shift of our legs caught between each other, and my pale hands as they slowly stroked up and down his broad back. He smothered me with fire beneath my ears, down my swan neck, and along my collar bone as I desperately clung to him. Until his hand more urgently hoisted my thigh up to tuck against his hip bone, and nuzzled the tip of his nose against mine. Stealing my breath with lips finally descending to claim my own, his body suddenly thrusted against mine with purpose, and I was consumed by fire… and the incessant beeping of a high pitched sound from the heavens…_

Wait… _beeping!?_

My eyes shot open, and with a somewhat startled gasp, I was suddenly _incredibly_ aware of the fact that I was quite literally burning up past my usual fifty-seven to sixty degrees celsius, as though I'd been lying for hours and hours stark naked under the midday sun. I must have rolled onto my back at some point during the night – though hopefully not during the point that correlated with my waking dream. Yet the pale hand that rested precariously south of my equally pale abdomen barely eased my mind on _that_ account. Looking down the length of my body, I realised I'd flung the sheets off, though some were still tangled up between my thighs; and even my pyjama top had ridden slightly north. Quickly yanking it down over my exposed belly, I involuntarily tensed and froze to the single, snored intake of breath to my left. It was the adorable sound of Jacob being roused, though from the way he groaned and tried to push his body further into the mattress, I guess that he wasn't quite ready to be awake just yet.

 _Good_ , because I already felt like a needed a shower to steady myself after… whatever the hell that dream was, and I most definitely wasn't ready to look him in the eye after…. _well_ …

Finally hitting snooze on my phone alarm, I suddenly launched myself onto my feet, and rushed into the bathroom. There was no need to question myself any further. If I was going to get through the rest of the day, especially when half of it was going to be stuck in a confined space with _him_ , with nothing but the radio and conversation for entertainment / distraction; then what I _needed_ was to start my day off with a really, _really_ cold shower.

Thankfully, Jacob wasn't a morning person, and I figured that had something to do with wolves being primarily nocturnal. So once we'd fled to the car, hoping to escape before anyone discovered the broken motel room door; he'd muttered something about grabbing breakfast. We didn't stay to eat anywhere though. Instead, the smell of an Americano coffee (for him), English breakfast tea _(for me)_ ,and hot bagels with freshly grilled bacon _(for both of us)_ filled the car as we headed out of the city. It was definitely better than the so-called 'Tacoma Aroma'.

For once, I didn't mind that Jacob was an early morning grouch, and when we were done eating, I turned the radio on to fill the silence. We'd hit early morning traffic, and had to contend with equally grumpy commuters lining up the highway with their beeping horns whenever the traffic jammed up a little. The road rage was infectious though as Jake fidgeted and mumbled about 'idiot drivers' and slammed his palm on the horn back in retaliation. I switched the radio frequency until I found a channel with some angrier music for him, and smiled smugly to myself as the thrashing drums and electric guitars courtesy of 'Metallica – Wherever I may roam' helped channel his rage a little better.

It was coming up to 3 o'clock in the afternoon already, by the time that we finally drove into a designated campsite car park in the 'Lolo' National Forest. Even though I'd only had a glimpse of it through the window, I was already stunned at how utterly beautiful our scenic route through Idaho and Montana had been so far. As Jake cut the engine though, I looked to his hands still resting on the steering wheel, like he was still considering moving the car somewhere else. There was a tour bus parked ahead of us, but one other car, so far. I wanted to stretch my legs out though, and after seven and a half hours in the driver's seat, I knew that Jake needed to as well.

"Jake?" I called his name, instantly gaining his attention with the turn of his head. "C'mon, it'll be fine."

Not giving him chance to argue, I pushed my door open, and climbed out. I knew he was probably worried about me catching the scent of humans whilst I hunted, since it had taken a while for both Jake and my parents to 'ween' me off the packets of human donor blood. He didn't need to make hunting for animals a competition between us anymore, but I knew that he still harboured fears about me getting a 'taste' for humans again. He'd openly said as much when he'd argued against me going to high school, and honestly, he did had a moot point. Sometimes, the veins in the necks of humans are like… candy. I don't need to taste it, but I still get a 'sweet tooth' craving.

To my relief, the sound of his door slamming and the car alarm flicking on, was a gesture of his trust in me.

What started as a casual walk evolved into a run, as we chased each other through the different plant and tree species that inhabited this forest. I could smell red cedar, fir and pine most of all, and was fondly reminded of home. When we were deep into the forest, and could no longer smell any traces of humans, we finally slowed down.

"Wait here," Jake ordered.

I didn't have a choice, because he was already stunning me into silence as he took his t-shirt while he walked away from me. He just tossed it on the ground and kicked his shoes off one by one, hardly breaking his stride in the process. As his hands lowered to his belt though, he disappeared behind the thick foliage and lines of shadowing trees. I still swallowed back though, as I heard the click of his belt, and the sound of his jeans dropping. Moving to gather up his shirt and converse sneakers in my arms, the sound of his sudden shifting tore through the tranquillity of nature, and a giant red wolf suddenly leapt out from where Jake had disappeared. I stayed still and smiled as he approached; wasting no time in circling around me, before wagging his tail and nudging his snout against my side playfully.

"Well someone's happy to see me." I laughed, and then stroked my hand against the reddish brown fur between his ears. The rumbling sound he made wasn't a threat in the slightest. In fact, I think it was more of a scoffed laugh in return.

Moving towards the bushes he'd jumped out from, I dropped the shoes and t-shirt down next to his jeans. Meanwhile, wolf-Jake sniffed at the air, getting a sense of his surroundings, and the various scents that fermented around him. It only took a second for a more challenging growl to vibrate in his throat, and I smirked as I moved to stand beside him.

"I know… I can smell it too." There were moose nearby – two from the smell of it, but it wasn't their scent that had excited us both... "You ready?" I asked, as I slid my right leg back and crouched like an athlete getting ready to run a marathon. On cue, wolf-Jake cowered slightly, with his shackles lifting up along his spine, all the way down to the bristles of his fluffy tail.

"GO!"

The race – and the hunt – was on. We both bounded forwards, keeping perfectly in line with each other, until we were forced to briefly separate to navigate the many obstacles of trees and bushes that came our way. It didn't matter though, because I could still hear the wolf's excited snarls as he followed his nose towards the finish line.

Moments later, I brought a whole new meaning to 'bear hug', as I was the first to reach the victory line of a giant grizzly bear. I leapt, and the beast roared as my hands gripped hold of his fur, squeezing tight until I heard at least one of his ribs crack under the pressure. He wasn't going to go down easy though, and before I could bite down on his neck, I was suddenly flung with the charging twist of his body, and the swipe of his claws. That's when wolf met bear in a series of snarled growls and pained groans. When I heard the snapping of another more pivotal bone, and the heavy slump of a lifeless body, I knew that the game was over.

" _Damn it_ Jacob – I had it!" Ever the sore loser, I scowled as I moved to join him at our makeshift dinner table. With a huffed, scoff of a growl, as if to mock me, his snout impatiently nudged against the beast's gut as he began to tear through flesh with his strong, canine teeth. We had an unspoken rule that the winner of the hunt got to take the first bite, so I didn't mind that he was already tucking in. As soon as I smelt fresh blood spill though, I sunk down on my knees by the bear's head, and joined the feast.

Even though I'd learnt to be careful about not getting any blood on my clothes, I still had to wash my messy face and hands in the nearby stream, before we headed back. Wolf-Jake just rested by me as I washed, and occasionally I heard his belly rumble with the satisfaction of a hearty meal. I'd drank my fill too, which meant I'd be sated for a while now. Enough to be content with just human food for about a week or so, until the cravings would inevitably come back. It was the price I had to pay for being part-vampire.

For a while, we just lounged together; wolf and hybrid in a mutually relaxed state on contentment. I wasn't always sleepy after a meal, unless I ate too much, like now. So as I lay myself back against wolf-Jake's ribs, leaning my head against a fur-covered shoulder, I let myself drift off into an afternoon nap. About an hour later, I woke to the sound of canine whining, and my eyes fluttered opened in time to see a large wolf head coming closer.

"Argh - _Jake_!" I protested, as his rough tongue suddenly licked against the side of my face. Well, that was definitely one way to be woken up. Swatting him away and flailing my limbs until I was sitting up, his jaw was open and he was panting along to the swish of his tail. I knew that he was laughing at me.

"Very funny," came my sarcastic retort. Inside, I was laughing though. He just lowered down onto his front paws beside me in response, and I knew that gesture all too well. It was a signal for me to climb onto his back. With a sigh, I pulled myself up until I was straddling him like a bareback horse. Technically, he was about as big as one. Once I'd gripped a handful of his fur to keep myself steady, he bolted forwards, leaving our picnic-site behind us for the scavengers to inevitably pick at.

Soon, we were back to where Jake had phased, and once I'd slid down from his back, he sombrely moved back to the bushes where his clothes had been left. I couldn't help but feel like he wanted to stay as the wolf for a while longer, as his slow prowl resounded with the rueful sadness of his silence. In a matter of seconds, I heard the gasp of a more human breath, and the shifting of clothes being pulled over smooth, furless skin. Jake finally walked out, still shoving his t-shirt over his head, to give me a brief glimpse of his flawlessly smooth skin. I liked spending time with him in his wolf form, but I liked _this_ sight a whole lot more.

…I just wish _human_ Jake would be as forthright as the wolf...

"Geez," he finally groaned, reflecting the sound of his churning stomach. "I don't think I can eat again 'til –" He couldn't finish though, because despite his attempt to hold it back, a loud burp finally broke free.

"Excuse _you_!" I laughed out right, and he pouted back a little sheepishly.

"Couldn't you have just gone for the moose?" He sighed, but I knew that he already knew the answer why I hadn't. There had been two moose scents: a mother, and her calf.

"I think I want wolf-Jake back," I retorted instead, scrunching my nose at him. "At least _he_ didn't complain about the menu whilst he was greedily tucking in."

This time, Jake put a hand to his mouth, and managed to swallow back his belch. Even now, I couldn't help but stare dreamily at him. Even when he was being 'gross' by most people's standards, I just found it adorable. Then again, I guess I'm hardly 'most' people.

Shaking his head at me, he rested his hands on his hips, as he finally tilted his head up to the skies. The sun was already starting to fade a little, and at a guess, it must have been around four o'clock already. "Should we head back?" I asked, practically reading his mind.

"Yeah…"

I knew he didn't want to though, which is why I also didn't mind that we walked rather than ran, as we traced our steps back to the car. We walked pretty closely side by side, and occasionally my hand brushed against his, and vice versa. I want to say that it felt like we were back in Forks again but… there was something different, other than the obvious fact that this _wasn't_ the Olympia Forest. I guess it had something to do with the fact that no matter what we said to each other now, no one else could hear us. It finally dawned on me properly that out here, in the wilderness of Montana, we were finally alone to the mercy of nothing but the nature that surrounded us. So I should have just reached out and held onto Jake's hand, because I already knew that the sensation of his skin against mine, was anything but unnatural. I was scared though, that the spark of his contact might take me back to the dream I'd had last night. The last thing I needed right now, was to project that memory through to him.

That would be beyond embarrassing.

So as we briefly parted ways to avoid walking straight into a tree, Jake finally broke the silence with an abrupt announcement, as I re-joined him on the other side.

"I spoke to the pack, while you were sleeping." My hand instantly moved to feel the bark of another tree, as I weaved my way around it. After the snap of a twig, Jake continued. "I… told them. About Dracula one and two…"

And then, I stopped.

"You did _what_!?"

"I _had_ to, Ness." He quickly countered without hesitation, stopping next to me and huffing a breath.

"But, dad said –"

"I don't _care_ what Edward said." he snapped. "He had no right trying to tell me to keep my mouth shut about something that concerns _us_ as much as him."

I knew that by 'us' he meant Black pack and the Quileute in general. Regardless of their tolerance towards the Olympic Coven, their priority was to still protect their land from the _cold ones_.

Looking down to kick his foot against a stone, Jake rested his hands on his hips, and I saw his chest expand with a calming breath. "I've been battling with this decision ever since we left Forks, but I couldn't hide it from them any longer." His gaze had lifted to me now. "They had to know what's coming – what's on its' way there right now, for all we know."

I'd tried not to dwell on the fact that, if Alice's vision was correct, the Romanian Coven would be in Forks by tonight. Concerns and anxieties had swelled in my mind when I'd been stuck in the car, but even since we'd arrived at the Lolo Forest, I'd found peaceful distraction. Now though, I looked down, feeling ashamed of myself for having fun whilst my family prepared to talk peace with the potential enemy. Peace talks that could break into a more aggressive turn of events.

"I don't blame you for telling them," I finally said. "You're right, Jake. My dad shouldn't have tried to force a decision on you. The pack had every right to know and be prepared for whatever's coming." Even though my dad always meant well, I wasn't against admitting that not all of his ideas were the best course of action.

I barely realised Jake had closed the gap, until I felt his hands reaching up to claim my arms. "Thank you," he breathed. I knew that he was genuinely glad that I shared his opinion. When I looked up to meet his grateful gaze though, he slowly dropped his arms. Turning then, he started to walk forwards, and I ruefully followed. I wanted to feel his hands on me again, warming my colder skin.

"I told them not to get involved," he continued to explained. "They'll stay close to the Cullens, but they won't interfere with anything. Not… unless they have to."

"I hope they won't need to," I quietly admitted. Even though I could feel Jake's eyes on me, I didn't return the gesture. Instead, with my eyes lowered, I was trying not to imagine a bloody battle between covens and wolves.

"Me too," Jake gently assured. "But there's _one_ more condition," he added. "I _need_ to know what's going on, as it happens. That's why I'm gonna shift again, later tonight."

I shoved both my hands in the back pocket of my skinny jeans, and my furrowing brows considering the connotations and contradictions of that single announcement. On one hand, Jake would be able to establish a connection to Forks as he kept up with the pack's constant updates. On the other hand, I'd still be in the dark, until either he shifted back and told me the news himself, or I received a phone call from my family. Then, there was the fact that as Alpha, he might not be able to ignore the temptation to run home to the pack, if they needed him.

"But… what if they call you home?" I finally voiced my worries as I moved to walk more closely beside him again. "What if –"

He abruptly stopped again, and turned to face me in a heartbeat. "Nessie, if things don't go as planned, I'm ditching the car and getting us as far East from here as I can."

"As the _wolf_?" I almost squeaked. He nodded, and my stomach lurched.

"I can protect you better that way," he tried to explain. My eyes widened at him though, and I took a protesting step towards him as my voice cried out in retaliation.

"No! Jake, you _can't_! We _have_ to stay on the main roads, and we can't do that if you're the _wolf_! Alice said –"

"I don't _care_ what _Alice_ said!" He immediately interrupted and bit back pointedly, as he too took a step towards me. I snapped my mouth shut, but matched his challenging glare as we both battled for dominance in the argument. "Alice doesn't know what she can't _see_ , and she sure as hell can't see either of us in whatever future she's got us running away from!"

"You _said_ we have to be careful," I quickly echoed his words from last night. "You said we can't risk –"

"What I can't _risk_ is anything happening to _you_!" I stared back at him, finally silenced by his admission, and his nostrils flared as he strongly exhaled a frustrated, huffed breath.

"Jake…" I carefully uttered, finally managed to calm my voice down. Not even thinking, I let myself by pulled towards him, as I reached out to lightly place my fingertips against his chest. Beneath his t-shirt which radiated with heat, I could feel his thundering heartbeat, and the rise and fall of expanding lungs as he too, tried to calm himself.

"Nothing's going to happen to me." He moved to interrupt me again, but my palm pressed flatly against his chest, while my other hand quickly shot out to press flatly against his shoulder.

"Just, _listen_ to me!" He stilled again, and I quickly resumed. "We've got enough miles between us and Forks now, and we've still got time to gain a few more by tonight." A felt him inhale deeply, but I remained firm, keeping my hands pressed against him to stop him from interrupting. "Jake, I'm not the one in danger here, but –" Pausing to lick my drying lips, I searched his eyes, so that my words became heavier. "If _anyone_ hurts my family, I… I _can't_ \- I _won't_ keep running away anymore! If anything bad happens, then I want us to run back, and face it."

"Ness –" He breathed, but damn it! I balled my hand into a fist, and lightly punched against his chest.

"And if _you_ won't take me, then I'll go alone." He stilled completely now, and his eyes narrowed beneath his knotting frown. "I _mean_ it Jake. We've made it this far already, but I'll be damned if I let _anyone_ stop me from ripping the head off whoever who _dares_ hurt my family - _Either_ of them."

It wasn't just my immediate Coven family who were concerned now. "The packs are my family too, Jake." I added, and his jaw tensed. "I don't want them getting hurt as much as you do."

He studied me a moment longer, but I held my breath until his lips parted.

" _Fine_." The stressed word was a relief to my ears, and I felt Jake's hands suddenly lift to my small waist. "It's decided then."

He suddenly pushed me aside though, lightly but with purpose, as he moved ahead with a pensive brow. I turned on my heel, and watched him with another bated breath. He finally stopped, but rather than turn completely, he just tilted his head to glance back at me over his shoulder.

"We'll gain as much distance as we can until the sun goes down, and then, I'll shift. If I'm still the wolf when everything's said and done, then you'll know that we're heading back to Forks."

I swallowed back against the very real lump in my throat, and slowly nodded. Only then, did he continue. "But if I change back… then we keep on driving. We'll stick to the plan, and meet up with your family in Mill Creek; like they wanted."

I hoped it would be the latter. I really did. But I also steeled myself, as I started to prepare myself mentally for the worst case scenario. "Okay," I reasoned, taking a small step towards him again. "Deal."

Eventually, the car doors slammed shut, and the engine purred to life once more. Jake was completely silent as he drove, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. I knew it wasn't just the road he was focusing on though, as he wore a perpetually deep frown. Not even the quiet radio tunes could fully fill the tense silence that stretched between us. Deviating from the marked route just slightly, he went straight on from 'Garrison', and followed the signs towards 'Helena' city. We didn't stop though, not until we'd parked in the base of the Helena National Forest. It was much smaller than Loco, but still vast enough to conceal our tracks. More importantly, it would enable Jake to shift under the cover of the trees, without worrying about the tracks of nearby Humans catching sight of us.

We trekked out into the forest, leaving the main hiking paths and signs pointing to campsites as we moved deeper and deeper into the wilderness. It had only taken us about two hours to drive out here, so we took our time walking as the sun gradually descended behind us. If my calculations were correct, we were now roughly 770miles away from Forks, by road. Hopefully, we wouldn't be trying to frantically retrace our steps by the end of the tonight. Jake could run over 100miles per hour as the wolf, but I didn't want to think about that. I needed to stay positive, not just for the sake of our family, but also for the sake of us.

"There's something up ahead," Jake eventually announced, as he slowed with the glimpse of something out of place between the trees.

Turns out someone had built a log cabin near the top of the steep hill we were climbing; probably for the winter snowfall on the mountains. Tonight, it would be our Summer House, even though I didn't mind sleeping out rough under the cover of the stars and the night sky either, if I had to. Jake wasn't about to give me the option though.

"Let's check it out," he said. I couldn't smell any sign of Humans nearby, and figured that Jake couldn't either. Still, we both made quick work of checking the cabin from top to bottom, just in case.

It came as no surprise to me that it was stripped of all signs of habitation, except for the furniture, and a few photographs of a family skiing. The bed wasn't even made, but there were pillows and blankets tucked away in the closet. Hopefully I'd be wrapped up in them tonight, rather than clinging to red fur on the galloping back of a vengeful wolf.

Eventually, we met up on the porch outside. "Doesn't seem like anyone's coming out here for a while," I stated.

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "Might as well stay here."

We found some matches, and got a small camp fire going outside, even though it was still pretty light. It wouldn't be for long though, as tangerine, gold and salmon pink hues lay heavy on the dusk skyline.

"It's getting late," Jake finally said. I knew that the inevitable was coming, but as he rose up from his crouched position beside me by the fire, so did I. "Stay here," he ordered, but my hands found his waist, and he stilled a moment longer.

"Don't you _dare_ leave without me Jacob," I warned. "Where you go, _I_ go, remember?"

His hands found my arms, and rested just below my slightly bent elbows. "Always."

Pulling my bottom lip behind my front teeth, my eyes found his, and he held me there in a silent promise. My heart thundered, but I knew what I wanted, and I was done trying to hide behind a cloak of complete and utter innocence. So, my hands found the bottom of his shirt – the same one that I'd bought for him, from Port Angeles – and my fingers gripped the hemline. He looked down, curiously, and that's when I started to peel the material away from his torso. I was in charge, but as soon as I'd gotten as far as his chest, he took over. His strong arms crossed, so he could pinch the material away from his ribs, and then lift the whole shirt in one, clean sweep over his head. Instead of tossing the shirt like he usually would have, he offered the dark grey bundle to me, and I gladly took it.

"I'll keep it safe for you, for when you're ready to shift back later," I said. A smile tugged at the right corner of his mouth, and with a freed up hand, I clenched my fist so I could push my knuckles against his rock-hard abs. Slow-reacting to the encouraging shove, he walked backwards only a few steps, and then finally turned to move with a more purposeful stride down the mountain path. A few moments later, after the tell-tale sounds of his transformation; it was the wolf who slowly prowled back up the mountain path to seek my side once more.

Now, we waited.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 10: "Going Home"_


	10. Chapter 10: Going Home

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: "Going Home"**

Even though Jake was good company, whichever shape or form he took, I still missed being able to talk to him properly whenever he was the wolf. He still had a certain way of communicating with me through expressions and sounds, and often I only needed to look to his eyes for proof of his emotion or clarity of direction. There was little to communicate though, as he lay by me, waiting. Occasionally I saw his nose twitch as he'd sniff the air, but then he'd go back to resting his weary head on his outstretched paws. Every now and then I stroked my hand along his fur, starting at the crown and moving down to his shoulder blades, before starting over in that slow and repetitive pattern. The rhythm was a comfort to both of us, but it didn't help to completely ease my anxiety. It didn't solve my sheer boredom either, for that matter. I don't understand how ancient Vampires, like the Volturi and even the Romanians, can just… slowly let time pass them by, like statues perpetually trapped in an hourglass. If I was them, I'd want to break through the glass, and leave the irritating sands behind me before they swallowed me whole.

Patience is definitely _not_ one of my virtues.

There was no electricity in the log cabin, and I didn't dare try to get the generator up and running, not even just for one night. My phone still had 68% battery life left, and without the WIFI switched on – not that there was any signal out here anyway; the low battery saving mode would easily last throughout the night. Thankfully, I had a few ibooks saved, and though my choice was limited, I managed to find a good read. Although, I think I'd read just about anything right now if it meant I didn't have to stare into the campfire with nothing but my own thoughts to keep my brain ticking over.

I was just over halfway through ' _The Alchemist'_ when Jake suddenly lifted his head, and his ears soon flicked back.

"Has it started?" I whispered, unsure of even my own voice right now.

He huffed a breath through his pointed nose. _Yes._

Neglecting my phone, I leaned against him, wrapping one arm over his large back so I could rest the side of my body and torso against his ribs. His heart pounded against my ear in a steady rhythm as he remained perfectly still but alert, _listening_. I just wished that I wasn't completely deaf to the voices that now echoed in his skull, along with his own voice as he projected himself back to his pack.

It was futile to count the seconds, minutes and possibly even the whole hour it took until finally, Jake carefully rose up on all fours. I already knew deep down, what the conclusion was, as he silently moved away from me. He had barely even growled or snarled this whole time, except for the occasionally rumble that didn't escape farther than his throat. Even as a wolf, he wore a constant frown, and his eyes had been focused. Now though, as he prowled away from me, I couldn't help but think that there wasn't a clear victory in his gait. He wasn't in any rush to force me onto his back and run all the way back to Forks, but he also wasn't in any rush to change back. It was impossible to therefore feel completely elated or at ease, and I was tired of waiting: Tired of being stabbed by daggers of irritable angst in my tightening chest.

Shooting up to my feet, I ventured towards the sound of his phasing further down the path; from human feet treading upon the soil, to crumpled jeans being shuffled up strong legs. By the time that he emerged from the bushes, I was already half way down the mountain path. I didn't stop though. Not this time. Not until my body collided with his. Not until my arms flung around his neck, whilst his circled my back. One of his legs took a step back to brace and steady us both, whilst both my feet left the earth entirely as I was lifted up against him. I felt him bury his nose against the crook of my collarbone, and both heard and felt the heavy breath he sighed against my skin.

"They're okay," he finally announced. "It's over." He breathed me in one more time, before adding: "No one was hurt."

The relief was mutual, as I too dipped my head against his shoulder, and squeezed him tightly in return. At first, I thought I was imaging the world slowly spinning around me, but then I realised that the motion was real. He was slowly rotating, holding me close and just, breathing me in.

It was only then that I started to wonder: What cost had my family paid in exchange for their safety? Jake was human again, which answered at least one of my questions. I needed the details though. I needed to know what had happened.

"What else?" I finally uttered against his warm skin, and slowly, he resigned himself to loosening our embrace enough for me to slide back down his body, until my toes touched down on the earth once more. He stepped back a fraction, but as my weight transferred to the balls of my feet, his hands had travelled to my arms to keep me steady. Finally, our eyes met, and I eradicated the space he'd created by stepping back towards him. My hands rested peacefully on his bare chest, but they also urged him to answer me.

"There was a lot of… _talking_." He said the word with distaste, like it was Vampire venom on his tongue that needed to be spat out. "Carlisle was right – the Romanians were quick to claim that the Cullen's owed them an 'unpaid debt'. They went on and on like some kinda boring history lesson, about how they're done waiting, and the time is now to finally strike down the false 'usurpers' or… whatever."

I felt his hand pressing into the small of my back then, urging me to turn and follow him back towards the house. His steps were slow, and I figured that he found it easier to walk and talk rather than be caught completely still.

"Carlisle did most of the talking, trying to reason with them that 'the Volturi are no easy opponent to tackle.' He said it would be like committing an unnecessary suicide, and worse than that – forcing others to die with them for a shallow cause."

I smiled – those definitely sounded like my grandfather's wise words.

"That's when the Romanians switched tactics. They actually _agreed_ with Carlisle, and said that the last thing they want is 'yet another blood bath.' They said that… the Cullen's have the power to help their battle, in _other_ ways."

"How?" I instantly questioned, and that's when Jacob slowed to a stop by the campfire.

"Alice."

" _Alice_?!" I echoed, and that's when it hit me. _Her visions_. "They wanted her to see their future?"

"Yeah…" Jake nodded, and my eyes darted back and forth as I processed this new information. "But go figure, she already knew that… _probably_."

 _Of course she did_ , but the fact that she'd already seen the outcome of the meeting, only reinforced my belief that sending me away had been a complete and utter over-reaction. Surely the Romanians had made their motives clear as soon as they decided to travel across the world just to pay my family a long-overdue visit?

"So this whole road trip has been a complete waste of time?" I finally spoke up, digging my hands in my back pockets and taking a step away from Jake so I could process. "We could've just, stayed at home? Wh-What was the point in sending me away!?"

" _Because_ , Ness –" His jaw tensed. "Why would the Romanians bring the rest of their Coven along, if all they wanted was to talk? Think about it."

I did, but I guess my foggy frustration kept bringing me up short. He finally sighed as my eyes just kept searching his to provide me with the answer.

"If Alice didn't agree to help them – if she for whatever reason swore allegiance to the Volturi, then the creeptacular duo wouldn't have hesitated to just… force her co-operation. That's where you come in," he bluntly stated. "And they made it _perfectly_ clear that they'd noticed your absence. Alice didn't exactly let them finish, but I'm pretty sure we all knew where they were going with that one."

 _Oh._

Staying still as realisation slowly dawned on me, I watched as Jake turned and moved towards the low-rise porch, giving me some space to think. He sat down, and sighed as he leaned his elbows on his knees. This all still sounded pretty outrageous to me though.

"But, weren't they completely outnumbered?" By now, it seemed even more ridiculous that my family hadn't just joined forces with the wolves to drive the intruders out of Washington. Or better yet, get rid of the threat to us once and for all. "They can't threaten me if they're _dead_."

"Edward read their minds," Jake instantly countered. "He confirmed that they'd thought about tracking you down first as a bargaining chip, and that they hadn't been stupid enough to bring their _entire_ coven to Forks after all."

I finally began to understand the ramifications behind the whole scenario – at least, I _think_ I did, as I quickly stepped towards him once more. "Wait, do you mean – are we being _followed_?"

"No…" Jake grit his teeth, and then expelled an unsure breath though his nose as he sat back. "At least, I don't think so. Trust me, I'd be the first to know if we were, but I haven't picked up any scents or anything out of the ordinary since we left."

I hadn't either, so that ruled that out of the equation.

"Okay…" I breathed a sigh of relief, and finally reached Jake on the porch. "So, Alice just told them what they wanted to know?"

"Yeah."

"And then, they just left?" It sounded a little bit too… easy? Or maybe I just had my father's pessimism. Folding my arms again, I sunk down to sit beside Jacob.

"It was what they said before they left, that made a more lasting impression."

Nope, I was right. There was more to this story…

"They said that we'd come to 'regret' declining their offer to join them, in the coming 'war'."

Propping my knee underneath me so I could sit sideways, my father's gift of pessimism still lingered as I struggled to grasp this concept as a fact. "Is there even going to _be_ a war?"

"'Course not," he scoffed. "Even _Alice_ was pretty ruthless when she explained her vision to them. Sure, maybe the two Dracula's would kill one or two of the old leeches along the way – like some tracker called 'Demetri' or whatever, but all she saw _afte_ r that was death. _Their_ death, not the Volturi's." Shaking his head, he expelled an amused, nasal breath. "Even _she_ said that their plan was pointless, as far as she could see." He smirked then. "Course, we all know her visions aren't exactly accurate."

… _Because the future can easily change._

I'm not sure if that revelation was a comfort or something to worry about, further down the line. The future wasn't fixed, after all. So what would stop the Romanians from attempting a different approach, now that they knew their current plan was flawed? Then again…

"Do you think they'll still go ahead with it anyway?" I asked, sceptically.

"Who knows," Jake shrugged. "Who even cares? Personally, I just wish they'd tear each other's heads off and do us all a big favour." Turning to me then, he forced a weak smile. "Ancient parasites sure know how to hold a grudge."

I couldn't argue with that.

"So…" I finally expelled a longer sigh. "It's really over then?"

"As far as we're concerned? Yeah. It's over."

Reaching for his t-shirt, Jake paused to cover the rest of his nakedness, before continuing. Normally, I would have silently protested but, my mind was focused on other things right now. Not even his body could provide enough distraction – and that was really saying something.

"I had Leah make sure of that," he finally continued. "She passed on my message to Edward, that this would be the last time we'd let the Romanians or any other blood-sucker outside the treaty, step on our land. Next time, regardless of what the Cullen's want, we're gonna deal with them our own way."

Lifting my softer gaze, I lightly chuckled at 'Alpha Jacob' and his sheer determination. "Remind me never to get on the pack's bad side."

Looking back to me, his frown was finally eased by the lop-sided smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "As if you ever could."

It was whilst I staring back at him, wondering how he always managed to lift me up on a pedestal of perfection; that's when my phone finally started to ring. Though I still had a lot of questions for Jake, I also needed to hear the voice of whichever family member was calling me right now. Reaching for my vibrating phone, I reacted to the caller ID as I put the phone to my ear.

"Dad?"

"Nessie!" No, not dad. It was my mom's voice instead. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I frowned, a little taken aback by the urgency in her voice. "Yeah, I'm fine mom, we both are. We're still in Montana."

"And no one's been following you, right?" That explained her uneven voice.

"No, it's just the two of us. No one else." I heard her exhale a relieved breath, and took the opportunity to fill in some of the gaps myself. "Jake… told me what happened, with the Romanians."

"I knew he would." There was almost a smile in her steadier voice now. "Nessie… We're going to wrap things up in Forks, and then catch a plane to West Virginia tomorrow evening. Are you okay to stay on the road a while longer?"

Of course it was okay, but I was more concerned with why she was making it a rule rather than a choice. "Are you gonna tell me why?"

"It's… nothing to worry about Ness. We just want to check the area before we move in. Make sure everything's okay."

"Because of what the Romanians said?"

"Mm," she confirmed. "It's just for a while longer sweetie. You're harder to track if you stay on the move."

I didn't understand how my mom thought I'd be okay with the contradiction of 'being safe' and yet still needing to 'stay on the move, just in case.' It made me feel like I needed to start constantly checking over my shoulder… 'just in case'.

"Can you put Jake on?" She suddenly asked, and my hand instantly gripped the phone a little tighter. Why did she need to speak to Jake when he could hear her already? And what could she even say to him that I wouldn't be able to overhear too?

"Nessie? … Are you there?"

At my mom's questioning voice, I lifted my eyes to the patiently waiting Jacob. The twitch of his narrowing eyes as he studied me, made me realise I was being silly. My mom had every right to talk to her best friend, and I seriously needed to work on pushing down my unnecessary jealousy. "Yeah, one sec…"

He took the phone without hesitation, and I awkwardly found my feet as his spoke his first word to her. "'Sup Bella?"

I could still hear her voice as I moved into the log cabin. She told him to remember his promise. To keep me safe and make sure I didn't try anything stupid, like go home again, to Forks. I was in the bedroom, grabbing a blanket, as I heard her say that we'd all 'be together again, soon'.

Even though I'd cleared the air with Jacob, I realised now that there was no way I could just go back to being the same with my mom. I'd need to speak to her too. I needed to hear her side of the story. I needed to know what Jake meant to her.

Was this why my dad and Jacob sometimes had this… tension between them? Maybe… I needed to speak to my dad about it too? Or maybe, the past was just better left in the past.

Biting my lip, I sighed as I wrapped the woollen blanket around me. Suddenly, my closet-dysfunctional family sounded like they belonged on Oprah or something. But the strangest part was, as I walked back to Jacob, and stared at his back; my feelings for him weren't swayed or shaken in the slightest. I guess I was the most dysfunctional of them all.

"Just focus on getting on that plane," Jake abruptly said. "Wouldn't wanna beat you by car to West Virginia."

As she gave a suppressed simper in return, Jake turned back to me, and held the phone out.

"Mom, it's me again." I announced as soon as the object was pressed against my ear. "Is… Alice okay?"

"Y-Yeah, she's fine." I could hear her voice wavering. My mom was such a bad actress. "She's going to keep tabs on Stefan and Vladimir, and… the Volturi."

The same Volturi who'd brought an army to Forks six years ago over a simple misunderstanding. I hated the fact that they were suddenly a part of our lives again, even as just a fleeting notion. I preferred to ignore their existence, which was fairly easy to accomplish when they were locked away in their castle like dusty, alabaster gargoyles. I wanted to ask her if she really believed that it was over, but I already knew that I wouldn't believe her if her answer was yes.

"Tell her that I miss her," I somewhat changed the subject. "I miss _all_ of you, but tell everyone not to worry too – especially dad." I looked over to Jacob then, who was feigning trying not to listen but, he wasn't trying very hard. "Tell them that, Jacob's taking care of me – I mean, we're taking care of each other."

I refused to be just another damsel in distress, and the words even turned the corner of Jake's lips, as he peered up at me with the quirk of his brow. I quirked mine right back, challenging him to argue otherwise. His smirk just grew until it lifted the other corner of his mouth and produced a little snickered sound.

It was hard not to notice the smile in my mom's voice again. "I knew you would."

Suddenly feeling the need to tug the blanket a little tighter around my shoulder, I stepped out to the edge of the porch, where Jacob still sat.

"Be safe, mom."

"You too, Ness. I love you, so much."

In spite of my former feelings, I bit my lip as more undeniable emotions swelled up inside me, and I realised that envy was trivial in comparison. "Love you too."

Cutting the call, I sunk down to resume my place next to Jake. Leaning forwards against his knees, his back swelled as he inhaled deep, and then sighed loudly. "It's been a rough couple'a days."

"Sure has," I retorted, still holding onto my phone. It was the only connection to my mom and my family right now, but at least I was gradually feeling a little more at ease, now that I'd heard her voice.

"I guess we should head out early again." I tugged the blanket around my shoulders again, as Jake set his mind on the journey we still had ahead of us. "Get back on the road before dawn," he mused out loud. "Maybe skip some traffic before we stop for breakfast."

I managed a soft laugh then. "You're thinking about food already?"

"Nah," he smiled back at me with the full turn of his head in my direction. "But I will be by 6am."

Honestly, I wasn't all that surprised. "I think there's some kinda black hole in your gut, Jake." I countered, and playfully nudged my shoulder against his. He just laughed and nudged back.

"I prefer the term 'walking trash can'."

Yeah, that sounded about right. In all the time that I'd known him, I'd barely ever seen him let any food go to waste. Actually, it was part the reason why I'd been dreading cooking for him, and his dad. Between them, they were a force to be reckoned with. Add in Paul and I might as well just cook for an extra three people. My smile suddenly faded, and I pulled my knees into my chest. It was the first time since we'd left Forks that I'd found the time to think about all the things I hadn't been able to do. More importantly, all the people I hadn't said a proper goodbye too.

"What's wrong?" Jake immediately sensed my waning mood, and shifted so he was facing me more; giving me his total attention in a heartbeat.

Lowering my chin to my knees, I managed an ironic smile. "I was just thinking, about Billy and Charlie and Sue. I barely even stopped to realise they must be worried sick about us."

For a moment, Jake's expression hardened as his jaw clenched, but his ultimate reaction was to turn his torso a little more towards me. "My dad'll be fine – he's pretty used to my disappearing acts by now. The pack will talk to him, and I'll call him, eventually. It's not like he doesn't have a phone." He briefly paused though, before tentatively adding: "You can talk to him too, if you want?"

I nodded, wondering why that was even a question. Billy was like a father to all the wolves, and he'd never purposefully excluded me from the tribal gatherings where outsiders wouldn't usually be welcome.

"Mom's probably already talked to Charlie and Sue," I added my own two cents. "I just wish we could see them."

"Well… what's stopping us?" That question certainly got my attention, and as I lifted my chin from my knee, Jake grinned. "It's not like we can't jump on a plane in a week or two and go visit them whenever we want."

I suddenly bit my lip. There was a lot of 'we' in that equation, but I had a feeling that the plural didn't extend further than just me and Jake.

"It's not like anyone in Forks really knows who you are," he added, clarifying my suspicions. "We'd just be two strangers passing through."

 _Holy moly_ – Jake was absolutely right! The only people who needed to really avoid Forks were Carlisle and the rest of my family, but I'd been kept away from human eyes, and Jake had grown up on the reservation. Neither of us needed to hide from anyone!

"I can't believe I didn't – " Overwhelmed by what he was even suggesting, and the fact that I hadn't already thought of it myself; I could no longer hide the huge smile that lit up my face. "You really are amazing Jake."

Staring back at me, he scoffed a breath and leaned his head back. "What, you only just realised that?"

It was my turn to laugh, alongside a light shove against his chest. It wasn't nearly enough to move him though, and he didn't even bother pretending to flinching as he chuckled along.

"Do you think it'll be easy?" I started to ask, once the previous joke wore off. "Just, picking up where we left off, after everything that's happened?" I already knew that I was going to struggle with the concept of new identities and cover stories, as we settled into our new life.

"For some more than others," Jacob diplomatically concluded. "I know I don't care much for the bullshit new identity Carlisle tried to sell to me."

I practically snorted. "The 'emancipated youth'?"

"Yeah, that one."

"At least you get your own house," I mused. "I'm gonna be stuck with Carlisle and Esme, trying to remember to call them my Aunt and Uncle in public."

"It is pretty weird that Edward's gonna be your brother," Jake mused in return.

"And my _mom_ my sister-in-law," I finished with the scrunch of my nose. Everyone had reasoned that I resembled my father most, thanks to our amber hair. If my mom hadn't expressed an interest in going to college this year, he probably would've tried to pass as my twin too, just so he could come to school with me too.

"I can barely even remember where the others fit into all this," Jake half laughed and half frowned.

I remembered very clearly; how Alice would be my older sister, but she was also now a 'Whitlock' in recognition of her marriage to Jasper, who was no longer a 'Cullen' … _per se_. We'd all still be a family, but we wouldn't all be related by blood. Instead, we were now three families: Hales, Cullens, and Whitlocks. And then, just Jacob Black; Carlisle's emancipated ward.

With a groan, I tried not to think about it anymore. "I'm just… not gonna bother explaining it to anyone, unless they ask."

"Pro'ly best," Jake agreed.

Fidgeting under the blanket, all this talk of our 'new lives' had me thinking about one more new addition to _my_ life in particular. "Going to school is gonna be weird… especially with Alice there."

She'd applied for the vacant student councillor position, and though she still didn't officially know if she'd been accepted for an interview or not, I figured she already knew the outcome from the way she hummed to herself as she'd clicked 'send' on the online application.

" _Someone_ 's gotta keep an eye on you," Jake smirked. It was way too smug for my liking though, almost like he was now the one humming 'I've got a secret you don't know' to himself. I scrunched my nose at him, and tried to direct the subject back on him.

"Oh yeah? Well what about you, Mr. Emancipated? Did you decide on what jobs you're going to apply for?" I didn't think it was possible, but his smug smirk grew a notch.

"I'll probably get an evening or weekend job at some garage," he casually offered. "It's what I'm best at."

My brows instantly furrowed, and my voice was now tinted with suspicion. "Shouldn't you be getting a full time, _day_ job?" To which, he scoffed like I was an idiot for even suggesting it.

"C'mon Ness, how am I gonna do my homework if I don't go to class?" He laughed then, clearly enjoying this, as my jaw instantly dropped.

"You're coming to _school_ with me?" I practically shrieked, which just had Jacob grinning at me again with a flash of those disarming, pure white teeth. "Didn't you already graduate?"

"Nope," he pointedly declared. "Wolf stuff took care of that."

 _Oh._

"So I figured I should at least do it once and get it over and done with."

My gaping mouth widened as it dawned on me that we'd be graduating _together_. We'd be _hopefully_ sitting in the same class and doing the same homework. Just like that, sheer joy mixed with a hint of anxiety swelled up inside me.

"Besides," Jacob kept talking to fill the gap. "Edward and the others must've graduated at least fifty times by now. Think they deserve a break from the whole high school scenario."

 _Amen_ to that, because I for one hated the idea of them stalking me between classes. Finally, I calmed down enough to offer Jake my smiling eyes, and tried to bite down on my excitement by being cool and nonchalant. "Ok, so maybe school won't be _that_ weird…"

No, I'd just be getting my very own Patrick Verona. If my experience of High School was going to be anything like the teen-movies that I'd watched over and over for 'research', then I already knew that having Jake by my side would make everything so much easier. Even if I was branded as some kind of awkward nerd or social reject, at least I could count on him always being there.

"Do you think we'll be in the same classes? Have the same schedule?" I suddenly started to fire off my excited questions, and he once again laughed as he saw my cool façade slip.

"Probably not _exactly_ the same, but don't worry –" Pausing to side-smirk, my stomach flipped at his radiating confidence. "I'll still help you with your homework."

To that, I scoffed. "Yeah right!" This time, when I playfully shoved his shoulder, it was with enough force to push him back a little. He was laughing at me again, and my heart swooned at how easy it was for us to relax in each other's company like this. It was as easy as breathing.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be _me_ helping _you_ with _your_ homework Jacob Black!" I bit back, and though he paused to huff a breath, I knew he wasn't done challenging me yet.

"Well I'll be busy making dollars after school, so if you're offering –" I whacked him again before he could finish, but his warmth was just contagious. I'd _gladly_ do his homework for him.

Only Jacob could get me laughing and smiling again in such a carefree way, even straight after finding out about the Volturi and a potential Romanian tracker on our trail. Only he could cast all that aside, like it was inconsequential. I guess he meant it when he said that as far as we were concerned, it was over. We didn't need to worry about the 'war' or the consequences of decisions we ultimately weren't a part of. Our future was our own to write, and we were crafting it together, every second of every day.

"I guess we really are going home then," I finally said, changing the subject slightly. "I mean… our 'new' home." It still felt weird to call Mill Creek 'home' at all, but it helped to further cement the situation in my head. At least I now had school with Jake to look forward to; something we definitely couldn't achieve together if we stayed in Forks.

"Guess so," he sighed. "Maybe a little slower than we originally planned though," he then added. "Gotta give the rest of 'em time to catch up to us."

That wouldn't be hard as soon as they were on the plane, but as I started to think of how many miles and hours we had left on our road trip, I was suddenly struck by an idea. "Jake? You know how we were supposed to have that extra day in Forks?"

He instantly quirked a curious brow at me, and I could practically hear the cogs turning in his brain as he tried to get one step ahead of me again. " _Yeah_?"

I smirked, already feeling pretty smug and proud of myself for coming up with the idea. "What if we took some time to finally enjoy actually being on this road trip?"

His other brow lifted, and his expression gradually brightened. "You mean like, actually stop somewhere, for more than just eating and sleeping?"

"Yeah, go sight-seeing or whatever." I shrugged. "We might as well, and it's not like my dad would ever agree to a repeat of this. The way I see it, this should be like another study vacation, but so far, all we've done is drive." _And argue, a little._

Jake was more seriously considering my suggestion now. "So… you wanna spend a whole day somewhere?"

"Or we can split it up? Spend an afternoon in one city and an evening somewhere else?"

To my surprise though, his expression wasn't completely submissive to the idea, as I'd hoped for. Instead, he sucked a breath through his teeth, like he was suddenly having second thoughts. "I dunno Ness, your dad won't like it…."

My jaw really did drop. "Are you _serious_ right now!?"

That's when he laughed, and the whole act dropped. "'Course not," and he chuckled a little mischievously to himself. I started to think I was being a bad influence on him. Or, maybe it was the other way around? He had his moments, after all; especially when my dad was concerned.

"In fact," he continued with another snicker. "It's all the more reason to take our time, just to see the look on his face when we eventually roll up outside the new house."

I had to admit, that was a fairly amusing mental image. "He'll be furious," I added. "Worst case of stink-eye yet." Jake practically giggled with glee.

Delaying a while was worth a whole lot more to me though, than just pissing my dad off to no end. Part of me hoped that Jake felt that way too, and that his cool reaction was just another façade. I guess I'd never really find out, unless I miraculously inherited my dad's power to read minds at this exact point in time. Likewise, he'd never find out my agenda, unless I plucked up the courage to put my hand to his face, and share my thoughts. That was about as likely as my sudden manifestation of telepathy….

"I think I'll get some shut-eye," I abruptly announced with a firm tug of the blanket around my shoulders. "I'll do some research tomorrow, soon as I get some wifi signal and more battery power."

By now, Jake's smile had faded a little, and he'd definitely stopped chuckling to himself. "Okay…" He somewhat awkwardly stood up as I did, but mostly to dish out his last orders for the day. "You take the bed," he said. "I'm good with the couch."

One look over my shoulder at the item of furniture in question though, and I knew he'd be better off just sleeping on the floor. There was no way his entire body was fitting on the couch…

"You're better off taking the bed," I retaliated. " _I'll_ take the couch."

His jaw clenched, and his hands found his hips in the authoritative pose I was so used to by now. Unlike the rest of his pack though, he couldn't just boss me around using his Alpha voice.

"It wasn't up for negotiation, Ness." He tried to make his tone final, but I just scoffed back at him.

"I don't see why we can't just share the bed then." The sheer notion had him choking on a few incomprehensible words and staring at me like I'd grown a pair of horns on my head. I knew it wasn't 'proper', but to be honest, it was just fun to tease him. I guess this was finally proof enough that he saw me as a young woman after all; and that _definitely_ warmed me up with hope.

"What?" I countered with a frown, managing to hide my grin in the process. "It's like… Double King size! You can easily fit three people on that thing."

That's when he finally tried to salvage himself with cool nonchalance. "So the perfect size for a hybrid who tosses and turns all night long. I think I'd rather start my day without a black eye or bruised rib thanks."

I couldn't help but smirk back at his smooth recovery. "Suit yourself," I finally conceded.

There was definitely an unavoidable spring in my step though, as I turned and walked into the house. For once, I didn't care that Jake would so obviously be able to notice it. My only concern now was getting a decent night's sleep after all this excitement…

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 11: "Carpe Diem"_


	11. Chapter 11: Carpe Diem

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance. I also do not own any of the song lyrics used in this chapter._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Sorry for the delayed update everyone! The prospect of a new job along with studies and some re-decorating managed to hold me back, and my determination to get this chapter right put me under the pressure of some writer's block. It's finally here though, and hopefully the content makes up for the longer wait than usual… *crosses fingers* I believe this is also 'offically' the longest chapter (so far), and I could've kept on writing, but sadly I had to stop somewhere...  
_

 _As always, thank you for all the wonderful and encouraging reviews – I'm so glad they're finally showing up on the site! ^.^ I'll also try my best to get the next update up sooner as a thank you to all you dedicated readers out there._

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: "Carpe Diem"**

Our voices finally merged, and dramatically climbed higher as we found the rhythm of our tune.

"Oooooh, it's what you do to meeeee…. Ooooh, it's what you do to me… What you do to me."

I love this song, but I loved it even more now that Jacob was howling along with me; part singing and part shouting with a dramatic passion. I didn't mind that he was fooling around rather than take the words seriously, but it was difficult to match his enthusiasm when he was wearing a pair of aviator shades that made him look like a rock star in his own right. I'd been meaning to play this song to him on my own acoustic guitar for a while now, but always shied away at the last moment; opting for something a little less… _personal_. Sure the lyrics aren't 100% accurate but the chorus – the same chorus we sang together now – those words were a complete and utter definition of my so-called 'teen crush'. Jake did a lot of things to me, and the addition of aviator glasses was probably going to haunt my dreams tonight...

With all four windows open as we sped down the freeway, our voices traversed to the second verse. We only got two lines in until Jake suddenly laughed, having completely fudged up the lyrics. I knew them off by heart perfectly, but I just laughed along with him, and let the Plain White T's carry on alone. I'd had the chorus with Jake, and that's all that mattered. When it spun around again though, he burst into his dramatic shouting and this time, I out-did him with dramatic hand gestures of my own. We were laughing together by the time the song reached the bridge.

This was how we spent the next leg of our journey, as we drove from the town of Helena to the bigger city called 'Billings'. We'd set out on the road again before 5am, since neither of us were getting much sleep, and finally stopped for breakfast and a quick drug store visit when we'd arrived in the city at around 8am. Jake had realised he needed a can of deodorant, whilst I had remembered I needed a new hairbrush. Now, we were about half way through the ten hour drive to 'Sioux Falls' in South Dakota. Although, since we weren't in a rush anymore, we'd also stopped off in 'Rapid City' for a quick hike and picnic around the Black Hills National Forest. I even took a selfie of us with a view of the forest behind us to send to my mom' mostly to reassure her that we were okay, but also as a keepsake of my own. I could've stayed there all afternoon, but I wanted to get to Sioux Falls by 7 or 8pm so we could check into the Hotel I'd reserved on my phone, and take a look around the city at night. I hadn't told Jake I'd booked us into a Hilton Hotel, since I wanted to surprise him. We'd had enough nasty surprises lately, so I wanted to give him something nice instead. After driving for hours, he deserved a little TLC.

First though, I still had to get used to the sight of him in aviators.

"What even _happened_ to the Plain White T's?" His voice suddenly cut over the music.

Blinking several times, I cut my hopelessly smitten staring, but apparently I'd also lost all function of my brain too. Turning to half grin and half frown at my silence, he managed to laugh off my stupor in his usual, uber-cool way.

"C'mon, name one other single they released." I had to think about it, _hard_ ; but Jake didn't exactly give me much time before he was claiming his victory. "See? You can't!"

"1, 2… 3, 4?" I finally offered, and he instantly quirked a brow at me.

" _Huh_ … Never heard it."

I had. It was another lovey-dovey song, and it definitely belonged on my secret Jacob Black playlist. Trying not to think of the lyrics right now though, I quickly looked ahead whilst tucking a windswept lock behind my ear.

"Maybe I'll play it for you," I shrugged, trying to be casual.

"Cool."

Who was I kidding?! It'll be another seven _years_ before I pluck up the courage to play _that_ kind of song to Jacob Black. Almost as if he was encouraging me into the future though, he hit the gas, bringing us up to 95mph. It didn't match my heart though, which seemed to be constantly beating at 150 whenever I was around him in moments like these. So as much as I love 'Hey there Delilah,' I was relieved when the radio DJ played the next tune. I knew that Jake instantly approved of the song choice by the way his right hand started to tap away as soon as the funky beat started up. By the second chorus, we were once again singing along without a care in the world.

 _Tonight  
We are young  
So let's set the world on fire  
We can burn brighter, than the sun_

 _..._

The Tuesday evening rush-hour traffic jams wasn't too bad, so it was around 7pm when we finally slowed down to manoeuvre through the streets of Sioux Falls. Even with the breaks we'd taken along the way, I knew that Jake was as eager as I was to park for the evening and rely on feet rather than wheels to get around. Avoiding the main streets meant getting a fair look around the city as the sun was setting; occasionally reflecting off glass windows or from the mirrors of passing cars. Bars and restaurants in the central part of the city were slowly starting to fill up with customers, some presumably coming straight from their office day jobs in their smarter suits, whilst others were dressed more casually.

"Turn right once we're over the river," I finally spoke my last direction. I also couldn't stop my smug smirk as I watched realisation wash over Jake's features. The white building up ahead was emblazoned with a logo, which meant my secret was finally out of the bag.

"At the _Hilton_!?" He practically choked, and if he could face palm himself right now, he probably would have.

"Yup." Casually unhooking my phone charger and slipping it into my bag along in an attempt to hide my smug smirk, I settled back contentedly as we passed over the East 8th Street Bridge. Braving a glance at the silent Jake though, even with his aviator shades on, I could tell he was frowning.

"Better get the passports ready," he finally muttered with a sigh. It hadn't even crossed my mind that we'd have to show some form of ID this time around.

"Oh." Okay, so maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all? "I… if it's too much then I guess we could, look for somewhere else?"

"Nah," he shook his head, still frowning though. "It's fine. Just… trying to figure out if I have blondie or the psychic to blame for your expensive taste."

"Probably both," I admitted with a little chuckle. Sure, I could happily sleep under the stars with nothing but the bare earth beneath me, but after that awful motel room the other night, I didn't see why we weren't allowed to treat ourselves a little. Whilst I wasn't about to make this a habit for the rest of our trip, I also wasn't prepared to book into another cheap motel room, _ever_ again.

Just as Jake had predicted, the hotel receptionist asked to see some ID, despite me having made the reservation on my phone under the name 'Vanessa Dwyer': The same identity that appeared on my passport and credit card, courtesy of Alice and Jasper. Even though I'd stared at the name and committed it to memory, it still felt unnatural when the receptionist called me 'Miss Dwyer'. I guess it wasn't so bad as Jake's fake surname though, which was so ironic it was hilarious. It also had Jasper's humour written all over it. Whilst the perky receptionist checked our passports over, Jake flashed me a 'told you so' glance that had me struggling not to whack his arm in return.

"Welcome to the Hilton Garden Inn, Mr Wolfe, Miss Dwyer." She finally announced in her sugar-sweet voice once everything checked out to her approval. "On behalf of all the hotel staff, I hope you have a pleasant stay with us."

The first thing I noticed, as we opened the door to room '207', was that it instantly smelt a lot better than the previous motel. The colour scheme was a pleasant olive and cream, and the lights were a soft cream hue courtesy of the square shades, as opposite to flickering, stark yellow. The only thing that really irked me was that the twin beds were placed a lot wider apart, much to my silent disapproval. I'd liked sleeping close enough to be able to reach out across the gap and touch Jake, even though I hadn't dared. That had been just about the only good thing the motel room had had to offer. As I flopped down on my chosen bed for the night though, I already knew that I didn't need to check out the ensuite to know that this room was still ten times better than the last. There was only one other flaw, and that was the timing of our arrival. Right now, it was barely even eight in the evening, and whilst I wasn't hungry, I definitely wasn't ready to settle down for the night either. No matter how nice the room was, I wasn't in the mood to be stuck behind four walls. I figured Jake had the same idea, as he instantly crossed the room to open the one and only window. No blinds this time though; just cream curtains that had already been gathered neatly against either side of the rectangular window.

"You can shower first," I stated, as I worked on finding my new hairbrush. It wasn't as great as my last one, but it was better than using a comb on my dry curls.

"You sure?" Jake frowned, but I just sat down on the bed and started to detangle the ends of my hair.

"Yeah, this'll take a while." I don't know if it's some unwritten guy code for men to take no longer than fifteen minutes in the shower, or if Jake just hadn't wanted to be in the motel bathroom that long. Either way, I figured that he'd still be out by the time I was ready to jump in.

"Definitely don't miss my longer hair," he mused in return, as he moved to the unzipped suitcase.

On the contrary, I definitely wished I could've seen him with his longer hair, at least once. Even though I tried not to stare as I tried to imagine him with a side parting of longer, straight black locks, I also saw him ruffling through the hand-me-downs from Emmett that Rosalie had kindly packed.

"Hey, can I borrow your comb?"

I practically scoffed, as I quickly looked away before he caught me staring. "Like you even need to ask…" Then, after pausing to struggle with a stubborn tangle, I softly laughed. "I'm pretty sure you don't have fleas Jake."

"Har har," he mocked dryly at what would have easily been a Rosalie comment. We shared a knowing grin though, before he tossed a pair of jeans over his shoulder and scrunched a bundled mixture of white and black cotton in his hand.

A few minutes later, the sound of teeth being brushed was replaced by the gush of more constant water. Trying my hardest not to daydream about naked Jake in the shower, I finally got through the last tangle and after a few more quick strokes, tied my now straighter and slightly coarser hair into a simple ponytail. Thanks to my vampire genes, I don't really need to wash my hair _per ce_ , but after a week or so, it starts to lose its natural shine and the curls either straighten out of get tangled up. I just like the floral smell that shampoo and conditioner leave on my hair, along with the instant boost it gives my curls. After running through the forest all day, or spending time on the beach, I usually end up with teased out waves. With a little water though, the ringlet curls soon bounce back.

The vibration and beep of my cell phone confirmed that my family were getting ready to board the plane with the exception of Emmett and Carlisle, who still had to stay behind in Forks until Friday. The wolves were keeping a close border patrol, so I wasn't worried about the Romanians coming back for whatever reason. After texting my mom to wish her a safe flight, I moved to inspect the suitcase, and bit my lip as I planned out my outfit for tonight. The TV was a pretty decent size, and I figured we had access to plenty of pre-paid and movie rental channels. If we were going to spend the night chilling out watching movies though, then I'd rather head to the nearest movie theatre. I hadn't been paying much attention to this month's releases, but I knew that Jake wouldn't be able to resist an action or adventure film. I think I'd even brave two hours of the goriest and most pointless zombie horror, or scariest Asian horror, if it meant I could sit next to him. I'd had nightmares for a week after watching 'The Ring', whereas Jake had been giggling at the whole concept. He'd found it hilarious that I had to cover my TV with a blanket before going to bed for at least a week afterwards.

"It's just a movie, Ness!" He'd exclaimed. He'd said the same thing about '28 Days Later' too, which gave me a whole new reason to hate the faster Zombie types, even though I knew I'd still be able to outrun them. The question of whether either of us would be immune to a zombie virus had crossed my mind, but it was the thought of the world being torn apart and civilisation breaking down thanks to the zombie apocalypse, that ultimately scared me most of all. They'd be no more books or great works of art. No more music. Just… survival of the fittest, against the brainless masses. Even Vampires would struggle to survive in a world like that.

Shaking those memories from my head, I focused on the present time. Hopefully there would be another superhero movie to keep us occupied, but first, I had to decide between jeans, dress, or shorts. Hmm… maybe it wouldn't hurt to buy some clothes after all? A stray thought that was easily confirmed as soon as the bathroom door opened, and Jake stumbled out, trying not to trip over his jeans as he held them up from the waist with one hand. The sleeveless white tank top wasn't so bad, aside from being a little looser than his usual style, but the jeans were just… I quickly had to put a hand to my mouth as I snorted.

"Laugh it up, Ness." He countered, fully aware I was staring at him as he shuffled over to the case to find his belt. Clutching my side, I let myself laugh against my palm as he struggled to thread the leather through the denim loops without letting the jeans fall any lower past his hips. Holding my breath, I finally lowered my hand, as he tugged the belt to secure the jeans in place. They were still pretty low-slung on his hips though, like a hip hop or rap artist style, but thankfully high enough to cover his rear without completely sagging. Actually, with the belt on, the jeans actually looked good.

"Can't believe _Blondie_ expected log-head's clothes to fit me," he grumbled as he sat down on the edge of the bed to re-roll the bottom of each leg to suit the low-slung fit against his height. As he leaned forwards though, and his shirt lifted up, I could see that he'd _finally_ put some briefs or boxers on. The words 'Calvin Klein' stretched out in white over a black band that was barely hidden behind his shirt, and I immediately bit my lip in an attempt to stop myself from staring. Calvin Klein boxers probably looked really awesome on him...

"They're not _that_ bad," I tried to reason, whilst also trying not to be distracted by my wistful thoughts. I didn't stay distracted for long though; not when his scent wafted towards me. It had been freshened-up by various cosmetic products that were coming from the open bathroom door, but his own musky and earthy smell was breaking through the floral fragrances. With a slightly more nervous chuckle, I pushed myself off the bed and grabbed my little bag of toiletries. I needed to get out of the room before I combusted everywhere.

"I guess I'll just let you and saggy pants get acquainted," I snorted as I moved to the bathroom. Jake's unimpressed frown had been practically begging for the verbal jab, so I gave it him before quickly shutting the door behind me. It was also a decent excuse for me to remove myself from the scene before he inevitably caught me staring. Luckily for me, he hadn't thought of a witty comeback in time before the door slammed shut.

 _Phew!_

Wasting no time in turning the shower back on, I tried not to stall for too long as I checked my reflection before squeezing paste on my toothbrush. The last time I'd checked myself in a mirror, I'd been all tear-stained and miserable. Right now though, I was pleased to find my cheeks slightly flushed pink, and an altogether healthier glow to my pale skin. Going out hunting yesterday had _definitely_ been a good idea, and as I placed my fingertips to the side of my neck, I felt my pulse beating in a steady rhythm against my skin. The quickened pace gradually slowing down now that I'd moved away from the sight of Jake.

I spent longer in the shower than I'd planned to, as I made sure to lather up the shampoo and then leave-in the conditioner for at least five minutes. The hotel products smelt like a mix of lavender and white musk, which definitely didn't suit Jacob! The floral scents soothed me though, and the matching body wash made my skin feel soft and smooth again. Above all else, my tense muscles eased and relaxed to the flow of warm water. It would be so easy to just slip into my pyjamas and settle down to a movie, but that would also be a complete waste of an evening in a completely unfamiliar city.

It was only after I stepped out the shower and wrapped a hotel towel around me, that I realised I hadn't thought to bring my clean change of clothes in with me. I guess in my rush to escape Jake, alongside the habit of always getting changed in my bedroom, I'd just forgotten to pick them up. I guess this also meant that Jake was about to get the last laugh as he caught me skulking back into the room in nothing but a towel wrapped around me. Looking down at my discarded clothes though, I decided the embarrassment was better than putting dirty clothes over my clean skin.

When I finally stepped back into the main room probably half an hour later, I was momentarily stunned by the slightly spicy musk that clouded the air. One glance to the can of men's deodorant on the bedside table confirmed that Jake was more or less done freshening up. He always smelt good regardless, but I definitely couldn't complain about his enhanced scent, and the improvement on the more feminine products he had to use. The next thing that hit me though as I padded across the room trying not to draw attention to myself, wasn't the fact that I knew Jake had cast a smug glance over to me from his perch at the boxed windowsill. No, it was something completely unexpected, because it might as well have been a needle in a haystack amongst the sea of sounds that surrounded me.

"Is that… music?" It was more of a rhetorical question really, as my furrowing brows confirmed the sound of a female voice singing over a plugged-in acoustic guitar, bass and drum kit in the distance.

"Yeah," Jake casually confirmed my question anyway. "Sounds like some kinda small-scale gig, not far from here."

With an excited little gasp, I neglected my search for clothes in favour of moving to the window, pressing a hand to my towel to keep it in place. I barely even noticed the way that Jake shifted a little awkwardly as I leaned over his legs in an attempt to hear the music more clearly over the traffic and dozens of buzzing conversations.

"We should check it out!" I practically buzzed with tingling excitement at the sheer prospect of going to my first ever music gig with Jacob.

"You… don't wanna just stick a movie on?" He tested a little cautiously in return, but I wrinkled my nose at him.

"Maybe later," I offered as I finally straightened and moved to retrieve my clothes from the bed.

"Okay…" He trailed off as I quickly disappeared into the bathroom once more; not leaving him room to even think about arguing. In my impatient eagerness to leave the hotel, I stepped into fresh panties and put my t-shirt bra on in record timing. Next came a black and white striped t-shirt, which was tucked into my high-waist, skinny black jeans. All I had to do now was quickly blow-dry my hair, and leave the rest loose to dry naturally.

Ten minutes later, and I felt the cool summer air hit my skin as I eagerly followed the direction of bassline vibrations beneath my feet. The further we pressed on, the harder it was to single out the acoustic music from the more upbeat songs being played in the bars we passed by. I refused to be distracted by the haze of bodies blurring by; groups of young men standing around tables already filling up with empty pint glasses, and young women sharing their own daily gossip with a bottle or glass of sweet wine. Sometimes the groups merged, or a couple would simply walk by, hand in hand. The city was full of hundreds of different smells; from fresh food being brought out in the restaurants, to the haze of pollution that lingered like a perpetual and inescapable fog. I'd already concluded that I preferred smaller towns to city life. Eventually though, as the crowds got thicker, Jake just resorted to casting his arm around me, and quickly tugging me against his side as a rowdier group of men rushed past us.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He muttered questioningly as he released me, but kept walking close.

With an unimpressed expression, I just reached for his hand, and tugged as I quickened my steps forward. "Come _on_ , Jacob. It'll be fun!"

Begrudgingly, his moved with me, albeit with a little resistance. "You don't have ID," he stated, referring to the fact that my passport stated I was 18.

"But _you_ do," I countered, referring to the fact that _his_ passport _and_ driver's license claimed he was 21. "Besides, half-Vampire, _remember_?" It was no secret that I'd inherited my family's 'persuasive' aura. Rolling my eyes at him as he abruptly stopped in the middle of the busy street though, I turned and reached out to grab hold of his other hand.

"Would you _stop_ being a killjoy and _live_ a little?" With a defeated sigh, his feet started to move again as I tugged, moving backwards with a grin.

"This is a still a bad idea," he stubbornly resigned.

"I know right? _YOLO_!" It was probably the most teenage thing I'd ever said, and with a carefree laugh, I finally turned and walked forwards. I lost hold of one of Jake's hand in the process, but still clung possessively to the other. I know he was probably worrying about how I'd react to a room filled with hot sweaty human bodies and blood-pulsing veins, but did I also need to remind him that I'd only just fed? That brings me again to my _half_ -vampire point, and besides; right now I was feeling more alive and _human_ than anything else.

As we gradually approached the gathering of mostly older adults loitering outside the bar labelled 'Old Skoolz Winehouse & Pub' on a lit up sign, I begun to feel Jake's hesitation ebbing away. There was no doorman outside to check our IDs, and ahead of us, two forty-something couples pushed the door open to reveal only a semi-crowded room. The band on the stage up ahead were definitely playing the same country-blues style music we'd tracked all the way from the hotel, but judging by their current fan base, Jake and I would easily be the youngest people in the room.

"Still wanna check it out?" Jake queried, noticing the way I'd stalled to a more abrupt stop outside. I could smell both wine and beer alongside various perfumes and body odours, but even though this was hardly like a scene from any teen flick I'd seen, I was still undeniably curious. Answering with the release of Jake's hand, I knew I didn't need to elaborate verbally as I moved ahead to push the bar door open.

Avoiding the crowded bar completely, I didn't stop walking – and trying my best not to brush shoulders with anyone; until I was closer to the stage. The interior was narrow but long, and a strange mix of modern and small town, more classical wood furnishings. A bunch of people were already sitting on bar stools pulled up near the stage, and now that we were inside, I spotted a few younger fans in the crowd; probably mid-twenties. I didn't recognise the song that was playing though, or the band who were strumming and drumming away behind the thirty-something woman with bleached blonde curls cropped to her shoulders. Her voice reminded me of Lana Del Ray with a hint of Dolly Parton thrown in. It was pleasant to my ears, but the presence of Jacob stilling slightly behind me made everything else just slot into place around me.

I barely even stopped to notice all the heartbeats strumming around me, but I did note that no one was dancing. A few people were nodding their heads to the beat or tapping their feet, and it bugged me that some of the people sitting further back were trying to talk over the music rather than just appreciate it like the rest of us. We must have joined the song half way through though, because soon the funky beat was over, and the singer was pausing to take a swig of water.

"Wanna sit down?" I heard Jake ask with his head dipped low to my ear. My shoulder flinched to the tickling sensation of his breath, and with a glance back to him, I just shook my head. As much as my itchy feet wanted to get up and dance as the next song started up, to just set myself free for one night; I also couldn't overcome the nervous feeling of inevitably making an idiot of myself.

Half way through the song, a thirty-something couple started to dance, and I felt Jake's arm latch around me as the crowd shifted to accommodate their crazy moves in the tight space. I could hardly complain though, as the action brought my back snugly against him. _Don't let me go_ , I silently pleaded as I comfortably leaned back against him. His hand rested lightly on my stomach, and every now and then I felt the brush of his chin or jaw against my head as he turned to acknowledge a distracting sound or movement. Closing my eyes, I let my focus settle on just me, and him, surrounded by nothing but pleasing music.

Just as my hips were starting to warm to the idea of swaying to the rhythm, the song wound down. Rather than take a break though, the singer spoke into the microphone in her husky, whisky and nicotine-laced voice, whilst the guitarist lazily re-tuned his strings.

"Time to bring it on down for y'all," she announced. On cue, the bassist picked up a slow tune, having exchanged his four-string bass for a six-string guitar. Though the drummer and lead guitarist took a break until their own cues, the singer leaned back towards the microphone after four, slow bars.

 _Come away with me, in the night  
Come away with me  
And I will write you a song_

I'd already recognised the song as a Norah Jones cover, which instantly sent chills down my spine. I'd listened to this song plenty of times in the comfort of my own bedroom, but never with Jake standing close behind me, with his arm resting against my front.

 _Come away with me, on a bus  
Come away where they can't tempt us  
With their lies_

The couple from the last song had already started to slow dance, and now, another couple were abandoning their stools to join them. Envy swelled as a lump in my throat, as I wished that was me, being taken out onto the floor by an eager Jake. All anxieties aside, my hips just started to sway with their own accord to the lazy beat.

 _And I want to walk with you  
On a cloudy day  
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_

Hesitantly, but surely, his hips were now swaying with mine, gently rolling left and right to the beat.

 _So won't you try to come…  
Away with me and we'll kiss  
On a mountaintop  
Come away with me  
And I'll never stop loving you_

The song was just over half-way through, marked by the kick of the drums and the beginning of the guitar solo. I'm not sure exactly what it was that suddenly gave me a rush of confidence. Perhaps it was the sudden realisation that the moment was fleeting, and would soon be nothing more than a pleasant memory to recall with a smile, and a blush no doubt; on my part. One day though, I'd think back and regret just _standing_ there, instead of grasping the glaring opportunity. _Carpe diem_ , and all that jazz. I guess it was that realisation, that had me bolding stepping forwards, and pushing against Jake's arm. Turning around, I grabbed both of his hands, and lifted my eyes to his confused gaze.

"Dance with me," was all that I said. All that I needed to say even, as I started to walk backwards.

Jake moved his mouth to form words, but no sound came out as he followed like an obedient puppy – _for once_! No growling, stubborn Alpha this time, as he just… followed my lead. Then, as we found a spot near the stage between the other two couples, I bit my lip nervously as I let go of one of his hands to rest my hand on his shoulder instead. Lifting my gaze to his, I stubbornly held onto what seemed to be equally nervous brown eyes, as I lifted up our grasped hands into what I guess you can call the standard 'slow dance' pose. Eventually, as I stepped in a little closer to simply sway to the music, I finally felt his other hand rest partly against my hip, and partly against my lower back.

There wasn't much of the song left to dance too, but I already knew that I was going to treasure every single note of the music being played, as Jake finally started to take the lead. I know that it wasn't exactly rocket science; that all he needed to do was take little baby steps to rotate me around in a small circle. Still, I could feel my cheeks flushing with warmth as he complied to my request without question, and as I dared to look back up at him, his small smile completely and utterly disarmed me.

I was undone, right here, right now, because I knew that this was _more_ than just a teen crush. Sure, my hormones were probably going crazy right now, and I'd probably regret this when I tried to sleep with 'clean dreams' later tonight. This was hardly a scene from _Dirty Dancing_ , but it was _our_ scene, and that's all that mattered. As my eyes continued to bravely search his, and the air grew heavier around me, I knew that I'd do anything for this man.

I _knew_ that I was falling, madly and irrevocably in love, with each and every fibre of his _being_ , and no amount of 'it's just a teen crush' excuses were being to save me from this fall anymore. Even if he could never truly be 'mine' in that way, I _wanted_ to be his. More than anything right now, I wanted him to lean down, and steal my breath away with our first kiss. I wanted his hand to move lower to the improper curve of my derriere, and then pull me harder against him. I wanted to run my fingers through his thick black hair – _god_ I'd wanted that for a while now – whilst feeling the contrasting differences of hard against soft; of male against female.

For now though, I'd just have to be content by the way Jake manoeuvred me to spin away from him, before pulling me back in and reclaiming me with both hands once more. Yes, I could be more than content with that…

 _And I want to wake up with the rain  
Falling on a tin roof  
While I'm safe there in your arms  
So all I ask is for you  
To come away with me in the night  
Come away with me_

Resting the side of my head against his chest as the song wound down, I focused on just hearing and feeling the steady but strong pulse of his own beat whilst I silently willed the singer to keep going. Repeat a verse or something, just so I could prolong this moment for a little longer. I guess my vampiric powers of persuasion are a little under-practiced though, because she sung her last word, and the applause of the crowd drowned out the very last note strummed. I didn't want to move, but as the weight of Jake's chin inevitably lifted from the crown of my head, I prepared myself for the small step he took back.

"I need a drink," he declared on a sighed breath. To my relief though, he kept hold of my hand as he manoeuvred us through the crowd of people, which had grown in size a little since we'd first stepped into the bar. The band were starting to play another cover – 'Fleetwood Mac' by the sound of it, so I didn't mind being taken away from the dance floor. I don't think _anything_ could top that last song.

The bar itself was crowded, but I already knew that I just wanted an ice water. Jake didn't have to wait long to switch places with a guy who had three full pints of beer in his hands, and I made sure to give him enough room to move past me. He still managed to spill some, but thankfully _not_ over me. My ears pricked though, to the sound of the busty, twenty-something bartender uttering the one word I didn't want to hear. Despite Jake fumbling around in his back pocket to retrieve his driver's license, I saw the woman's eyes spot me behind him.

"What about her?" She curiously asked.

"She just wants a soda water," Jake countered, calmly.

"Oh, well erm…" The woman cast us both a sympathetic frown. "You can't really be in here past 8:30 if you ain't got ID… it's the law, y'know?"

 _Ugh!_ We should've stayed out on the dancefloor where the bar staff couldn't even see us! Pushing my way to the front, I figured now was as good as any to put my 'vampire aura' into practice.

"Couldn't you just make an exception?" I asked, gently. "Just for tonight, whilst the band are here?"

Despite the woman's expression starting to soften as she stared back at me, a much older bartender had cottoned onto the conversation, and decided now was the time to butt in.

"I don't care if the president's here – if you ain't got ID then you better get."

Before I could even attempt to try to verbally twist the barman's arm, Jake backed off with the squeeze of my hand.

"It's okay, sir." He politely said. "We don't want any trouble. We'll leave."

 _No-no -no!_ I begged as I squeezed Jake's hand back. Don't cut the evening short after only three songs! What was stopping us from pretending to leave, but going back to the dancefloor instead? It's not like the busy bartenders were going to step away from the bar any time soon, and I couldn't see any staff on the main floor. Apparently Jake wasn't prepared to take any chances though, as he guided me towards the main doors.

It was only as the colder air hit me, that I tugged my hand free and moved into my own space to gather my breath and thoughts in one. I wasn't angry _per ce_ , but I was a little frustrated that Jake had just let us be kicked out so easily.

"I guess they're pretty strict here," he offered, referring to the laws against so-called minors.

"Why? It's a _stupid_ law," I snipped back. It was especially stupid that I had to adhere to laws that technically didn't apply to me. I mean, technically I'm only six years and ten months old - or was it elven now? I'd lost track of time bu anyway; we both knew how inaccurate that was in relation to how old I physically looked and mentally behaved.

"It was getting crowded in there anyway," Jake offered once more in his calming voice. Before I knew it, his warm hand found mine again, and he was leading me back down the street. Back to the hotel, I gradually realised.

Now, when we'd first arrived in the city, I'd been feeling pretty mellow and relaxed around Jake. Now though, after our dance and little 'moment' where I _desperately_ wanted him to kiss me, I was starting to feel a little… awkward. Moreso with myself, than with him. How was I going to go back to a hotel room with him after having all those thoughts go through my head!?

"Sooo…. the band were pretty good huh?"

"Mm…" I barely even registered the question, or his attempt to make small talk. My brows were still fixed in an annoyed knot, because we'd still be listening to said band if he the bartender hadn't been such a jerk.

"Wonder if they would've played something I bit more 'now' though."

I just about managed a choked-back laugh. "Erm… I don't think they were _that_ kind of band, Jake."

"Yeah…" He gave my hand a playful little swing, and I felt his eyes settle down on me. "Maybe we should check out another gig in the next city?"

I instantly stopped frowning about the bartender, and instead looked up to catch Jake's warm smile being cast down at me. Okay, now he had my attention again. In spite of it all, he was willing to actually try again, in another city? He'd certainly changed his tune from earlier, when he'd hesitated to even step foot in the bar that was behind us now.

" _R-Really_?" I frowned for a different reason, and stopped walking so I could process this. "A-Are you _sure_ that's such a 'good idea'?" I blatantly mocked, repeating his words from earlier.

"Don't be such a killjoy, Ness." He barked a laugh at me, and tugged on my arm to get me walking again. It was hard not to smile as he used my own ammunition against me.

"YOLO!" We both said, in unison. He laughed again, and this time, so did I. There was finally a spring in my step again, as I just enjoyed the evening air mixed with Jake's presence beside me. As fun as the bar had been, this right here, was all that I needed.

"Wanna grab a bite to eat?" He asked after a few silent beats, and I caught on to the smell of pizza in the air. We could buy pizza any day of the week, but there was one thing we couldn't always have, which could definitely be on the menu tonight…

"Jake," I started, tone all serious. "Two words: _Room Service_."

He instantly smirked, catching on to my pretty obvious suggestion. We had plenty of cash still, and I also had my back-up credit card as a fail-safe. It would be rude _not_ to treat ourselves.

"I love the way you think."

I know it was meant to be a pretty safe and innocent comment, and I shouldn't be reading into it or anything; but I did. I totally did, which is why I suddenly went silent as I walked along beside him. Jake _loves_ the way that I think… He _loves_ something about me. That's a strong word to use – I mean, I should know! I've been using 'like' to hide the fact that I love so many things about Jake; from the way that he frowns to the way that he practically giggles when he laughs too hard. He's just a walking, breathing definition of my love for him.

 _Oh…_

And it hit me then, like I suddenly walked into a brick wall that came out of nowhere.

Was this like… our first ever _date_?

I didn't realised I'd totally stopped, like I really had hit a brick wall, but Jake was suddenly stopping to stand opposite me and looking at me weirdly. "Uh… Ness? Are you okay?" He asked, and I quickly gulped back.

"Y-Yeah," and tried to resume our casual stroll. There was nothing casual about it anymore though – not with these crazy thoughts suddenly spinning in my head.

"Are you sure?" I heard Jake continue to press. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

I tried to laugh it off, but my voice still quivered a little too nervously for my liking. Come on, acting skills! Don't fail me now!

"Yeah," I repeated, firmer this time. "Just… thinking. About mom and dad and, the fact that, they're probably sat on the plane right now."

He was quite for a moment, before uttering a quiet response. "They're fine, Ness."

"Yeah… I know." I smiled, glad that my quick-thinking excuse had worked, more than anything else. And yet another lie on the tally board, not that I was keeping track or anything.

If this night excursion _had_ suddenly turned into a 'date' though, then it was definitely an unconventional once. After all, first dates don't usually end up in a hotel room. At least… _my_ ideal first date doesn't, and yet, here we were; strolling back towards the Hilton. Maybe I was just getting ahead of myself. Maybe we were still just, two best friends – a guy and a girl, enjoying their time together. Seriously though, can a guy and a girl even _be_ friends, without other feelings getting mixed in? Did a guy and girl dance like Jake and I just had, if they were _just_ friends?

I wanted to be hopeful, but pessimism reared its' ugly head as I looked to the best friend in question. Had he ever danced with any other girl like that? Had he every danced with my _mom_ like that? More importantly, had he ever even been on a date before? The selfish part of me wanted to claim at least one 'first' with him, and before I knew it, the words were just slipping off my tongue…

"Jake? H-Have you ever… been on a date?"

This time around, it was Jake's turn to slow down, and I watched the tell-tale sign of his brow furrowing as his initial response to my bold question. Then, his head tilted to regard me with studious eyes, before his lips parted in preparation for his careful response. I already knew I wasn't going to like it.

"Sorta…" He struggled, already frowning a notch more and even wrinkling his nose a little. "I'm not even sure you can call it a 'date' though..." Trailing off, he huffed an ironic laugh. "I was pretty much the third wheel."

 _Oh_. "Between _who_?" I asked, hoping that I hadn't already guessed the answer. From the awkward gape of Jake's mouth though, I knew I was right.

"I… dunno if I should be telling you this."

That's when I stopped, and immaturely decided that I wasn't going to move until he told me. "Was it my mom?" I also decided to try to make it easier for him, and that's when he _actually_ rolled his eyes at me. I wasn't sure if I should be offended by that or not, but I'm pretty sure that my nostrils flared with the stubborn breath I huffed back at him, whilst waiting for him to explain.

"It wasn't like that Ness –"

"Then what _was_ it like, Jacob?" I shot back. He was twenty-three years old, so I shouldn't have been so angry about him going on a date with anyone. Still, I couldn't deny that despite _accepting_ that he'd had a crush on my mom, once upon a time, I still harboured some resentment, deep down.

"Bella just –" He stop-started after a sighed breath. "– She invited a bunch of friends to the movies, but only two of us showed up. Me, and some other guy."

… _Oh._

"Can't remember his name but, the other guy was a total wuss, and I didn't need to be psychic to know that he didn't want me there. He... was acting like it should've been a date."

 _Oh geez…_ Now I felt like a complete and utter idiot! I was probably going to think back on this whole conversation later and face palm myself for making it escalate to this point.

"Where was dad?" I instead felt compelled to cut in, and that's when I saw the Adam's apple shift in Jake's throat. Suddenly, this conversation wasn't about him and my mom any more. Apparently, my parent's had a history of their own.

"You _really_ wanna know?"

I nodded at the question, and heard Jake mutter a _'h'oh boy'_ in return.

"Jake," I warned. "Tell me. _Where_ was my _dad_ during all of this? Why was my mom dating other guys?"

"Because Edward was gone." He finally spat, not bothering to sugar coat the edges. "He said it was for Bella's own good and all, but honestly? I still think he went about the whole thing like a complete coward and a total _jerk_. I mean, he practically _tore_ Bella's heart out."

"Oh..." I just about managed to breath. What else could I say right now? Without any warning though, Jake suddenly stepped towards me, and I realised I didn't need to say anything else. Despite his brutally honest words, he'd remained pretty calm, and he continued to speak gently and yet, also with a firmness.

"But, I know that if _I_ ever loved somebody, like Edward loves Bella, then I'd _never_ let her go."

My breath hitched in my throat, as his dimpled chin tucked under to stare directly at me with slightly soften eyes now. His words however, were as firm as a base fact, that was being stated for the record.

"No matter what," he affirmed. "I would never, _ever_ do that to her."

I don't know if it was just my wishful thinking, and hopeful thoughts swimming in my head; but the way that Jake stared at me, it just… felt like… _I_ was that 'someone'. Wishful thinking of not, for the first time ever, I suddenly felt _completely_ vulnerable in his presence. Above all else, I'd gone from being in my comfort zone, to feeling incredibly _nervous_ …

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 12: "Two for Company, Three's a Crowd, Four's a Party."_


	12. Chapter 12: Two for Company

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance. I also do not own any of the song lyrics used in this chapter._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Here it is, as promised – the swift continuation of 'that' cliff hanger. Enjoy! ^.^_

 _So without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: "Two for Company, Three's a Crowd, Four's a Party"**

"Jake…?" I barely whispered, having suddenly lost my voice to the possibility that he was getting ready to lean closer towards me. If he loved 'somebody' like my dad loved my mom, then surely he'd be showing her by now? Like… with a _kiss_? I tried to calm my rapidly beating heart and swallow it back as it leapt into my throat with a dozen, giddy butterflies erupting in my stomach. This was it. Jake was going to kiss me!

So why was he leaning in the _opposite_ direction? Why was his jaw suddenly clenching, like he'd just chewed down on whatever he was feeling or wanted to say.

"I mean – _theoretically_ speaking." He suddenly added, like a tagged on after thought to save him from whatever had just undeniably sparked between us. To top it off, his gaze drifted to the side, and I could see the muscles tightened in his jaw again, like he was struggling with his words. "I wouldn't, tear someone's heart out, like that."

Funny that, because it sure as hell felt like he'd tore out _mine_ , and was now holding it out for me like some cruel joke.

My confused eyes searched his face, shifting left and right as it painfully dawned on me that he was holding back. It wasn't just wishful thinking. He was _actually_ lying to me right now. I could see it written all over his face; from the tortured frown lines down to the twist of his mouth into a more serious line. _Jacob Black – what is it you're not telling me_!?

" _Is_ there someone you love?" I suddenly demanded to know, impatiently wanting to force the secret out of him; right here, right now, before the moment was completely lost. "Like that? Like... my dad loves my mom?"

He took a step back then, creating a cold gap between us. All I could do was watch with a painfully bated breath of my own, as he closed his eyes and tensed up. Already, I was trying to think of the possibilities. Either he loved me – which would be utterly incredible and amazing – or he loved someone else. But who? _Leah?_ Didn't that conflict with what he'd just said, about never leaving the one he loved behind? What about all those times that he said he'd follow me, pretty much to the edge of the Earth and back?

It _had_ to be me.

"No," he finally breathed the word like a strained breath. "I don't love anyone like... Edward loves Bella." _Or not_. "It was just... a _theory_ , Ness. Forget I said it."

How could I just _forget_ a 'theory' like that, when he'd been staring right at me when he said it!? Like a statement meant for me, and if not me, then who else?! Those butterflies were suddenly set on fire by my boiling blood, and heat sizzled through me as I lost control over my reigned back emotions. Anger bubbled to the surface, manifesting in my contorting expression, followed by my snappy voice.

"I'm going back to the hotel," I announced. My voice climbed higher though, as I shot back a warning to him before I broke into determined steps. "And if I were you Jake, I wouldn't follow me right now."

"Ness –"

" _Don't!_ " I snapped back before he could even finish whatever his thought was.

"Nessie!" He tried again, but I just ignorantly quickened my steps without so much as a glance over my shoulder. "Wait –"

"Just, leave me alone _Jacob_!" I'd never spoken his name with such venom before, nor had I raced so quickly away from him, without expecting him to chase me or beat me to the finish line. To my relief, I didn't hear or feel him following. I did however, hear the distinct sound of foot meets trashcan; and the various contents spilling out into the road. I wished I had something to kick or punch right now too – preferably the guy responsible for my emotional rollercoaster; but at least I had the satisfaction of the ground pounding against my feet. That would have to suffice.

It was only a ten minute walk back to the hotel, but I must've managed it in less than five. Maybe later, when I was calm, I'd kick myself for not giving Jake time to explain himself, and for ultimately being a hypocrite. It was okay for _me_ to lie to him, constantly, but the second he lied to me in return, I bolted? And that's _if_ he was even lying. Maybe he really didn't love anyone, like that. Maybe it was 'just' a theory.

Shaking my head, I dug my hands in my jeans pocket, and yanked the room key free. Good thing I'd been the one to pocket it, else I'd be standing outside the door looking like an idiot, until Jake inevitably came back. _If_ … he came back. _Oh course he's coming back,_ I reassured myself with a determined huff. Slamming the door shut and locking it from the inside, I decided that he'd have to knock and be let in when _I_ decided I was ready to inevitably continue and conclude our conversation.

Even with the window left open, the room still smelt of Jake, which didn't help my mood right now. I wanted to be angry with him for his emotional constipation, and stay angry at him, until he knocked on the door. Instead, my attention was suddenly drawn to the fact that the TV had been switched on, casting an ominous blue gaze throughout the otherwise dark and unlit room.

That was… weird. I know that we'd left the window open, but neither of us had switched the TV on before we left. My thought immediately left Jake, as I felt goose bumps lift up along the bare skin of my arms. Had… someone been in our room?

Instantly inhaling the air, all I caught was the lingering scent of Jake, mixed with my own scent, and the various mixed fragrances of spice, white musk, and lavender. No other fresh human scents, or otherwise. So, _why_ was the TV switched on?

I started back-tracking my steps. The door had definitely been locked, which meant that if anyone _had_ entered the room in our absence, they either had a key, or… my eyes flickered to the window. I was _so_ in the mood for a fight right now, which is probably why I fearlessly – and recklessly – dashed towards the open window. As I leaned out though, and glanced down, up, left and right, there was nothing. No signs of movement along with exterior wall, or in the car park below for that matter.

But if someone _had_ been in the room, why couldn't I smell them? Stepping away from the window, completely baffled, I started to inspect the contents of the room itself, trying hard with a furrowed brow to remember how it had looked before we'd left for the evening. The bathroom door had been open – check. The suitcase had been on the bed – check. Had I left it open though, or closed? It was currently closed, but unzipped. I was sure that if I _had_ closed it, I would've zipped it up too. Flicking the flap open, I inspected the contents. They'd been disturbed, but then, both Jake and I had rummaged through the case already at various points. It was impossible to remember how it had looked exactly.

A nervous hand lifted to tuck a ringlet curl behind my ear, as it dawned on me that there were no clear answers to my questions. The more I thought about it though, the more I suddenly felt uneasy in the room. Whether my imagination was suddenly switched on an over-active overdrive, or my intuition was just reacting; I suddenly wanted to be out of this room. No – not just the room; I needed to be out of the city. I also bitterly regretted telling Jake not to follow me, because right now, I wanted him – _needed_ him, more than ever.

Throwing as many of our things as I could find in the suitcase, I did a quick sweep of the bathroom before zipping the case up again. Slinging my rucksack over my shoulder, I suddenly remembered to pick my phone up from the bedside table; before suddenly second guessing myself as to whether that was even the place where I'd left it behind.

This was getting way too freaky now, which is why I wasted no more time in reaching for the door handle and pulling the door towards me with enough force to make the hinges creak. Stepping into the corridor, I didn't ever bother shutting the door behind me properly, as I started down the long, narrow hallway. I didn't get far though, before the approach of footsteps coming towards me, started to press against the plush blue carpet in urgent pads. Thankfully, I smelt the intruder before I saw him, and realised it wasn't an intruder at all.

At first, Jake said nothing, as he paused to process the fact that I had my suitcase and my rucksack. I didn't give him time to question me though, as I sped towards him and let him still me with the snatch of his hands around my arms.

"I'm not staying here," I bluntly announced, before realised that I should probably explain why first. "Someone's been in the room, Jake."

" _What_!?" He practically growled, and all I could do was look over my shoulder in response. I heard him inhale deeply, and either my sense of smell was out of tune, or he smelt what I had – _nothing_.

"Are you sure?" Came his next question, even though he was already dashing towards the door before waiting for my answer.

"Yes," I uttered, hesitating to follow him. Seriously, just the sight of that TV on was creepy enough, and it was already burned in the back of my brain. I was going to have nightmares for a week at this rate. Even now, as Jake opened the door, I could see the blue glare of the screen shinning on him before he disappeared through the doorway. I heard him moving around a little, before he reappeared, looking as confused as I'd been.

"I can't smell anything," he gingerly announced, as he stepped towards me. "You didn't switch the TV on?"

"No," I shuddered. "It was on when I got in the room – that's what freaked me out so much."

"And the door was shut?"

" _Yes_ ," I really did snap this time. "It was _locked_. Only the window was open, like we left it."

That's when he suddenly snatched the suitcase from me in one hand, and the room keys from the other. "We're getting out of here," he stated.

For once, I had no reason to argue. The thought of staying in the room after our little argument had been daunting enough, but now, it was a sure impossibility.

"Should I call Carlisle?" I asked quickly as I kept in step with his quick strides towards the elevator. We were on the 5th floor, and could've easily taken the stairs, if there weren't probably security cameras everywhere. So we had to play it safe, which meant not moving even half as fast as we could have down the corridor.

"No," Jake snapped. "First we get out the hell of here, and then, we think about what to do next."

When we finally made it back down to the foyer after one hell of an awkwardly silent elevator trip, Jake said nothing as he tossed the room keys on the reception desk. I could hear the concerned receptionist calling us back, trying to ascertain what was wrong with the room. Jake just grabbed my arm though, and tugged me with him through the main doors. We crossed the car park in a matter of seconds, and he released me so I could cross around to the passenger seat. Meanwhile, he practically threw the suitcase on the back seat, before diving into the driver's seat and slamming the door shut. The engine roared to life, and suddenly, we were back on the road.

So much for a night in the city, and a day of sightseeing tomorrow morning.

"What if we're over-reacting?" I finally broke the tense silence. "I mean, what _doesn't_ leave a scent behind!?" Everything had a scent, didn't it? Whether it was a human, vampire, shapeshifter or werewolf – not that I'd ever smelt a true child of the moon. I figured they smelt like shifters though, or just like, wet dog.

"I dunno Ness," Jake muttered from behind grit teeth. "All I know is; something didn't _feel_ right about that room." Ok, so at least we could both agree on our intuition being shaken a little. Call it '6th sense' or 'supe senses'… at least we could both agree that we'd both sensed a disturbance.

"It's… almost like they _wanted_ us to know," I spoke my thoughts out loud. "I mean, leaving the TV on like that - you wouldn't do that unless you wanted to make it obvious that you'd been there."

I glanced over at the silent Jake, and saw his jaw clench and he focused on the road. He was already speeding beyond the city limit, and just ran through a red light without a care.

"Jake," I warned. "Slow down!"

"No way," he countered, though his voice was dangerously low. "I'm getting us out of the city."

I heard a car horn beeping behind us, as we narrowly avoided collision. "JAKE!" I practically screamed, but he just changed gears into 5th.

"NOT now Nessie!" It was his alpha voice, growling back at me and silently telling me to sit back and shut up so he could focus on driving. Another car spun behind us, as he kept heading down the main east street. Nervously, my hand reached for the seat belt, and I quickly tugged and locked it in place. I was just in time, because now it was time for our car to spin, as Jake hit the brakes slightly to turn a sharp corner.

"Are you _crazy_!?"

He didn't answer, just slammed his foot down again and brought us speeding towards the edge of the city. I don't know how he managed to avoid the law, but lady luck must've been on our side, because not a single siren chased after us as we reached the outskirts of the city. Instead of slowing down though, Jake just sped up as we turned onto the open freeway. He was easily pushing the 90 mark before the city lights were a spec in the dark behind us, but thankfully, there weren't so many cars to weave around now we were out of the city. As much as I wanted to feel relieved to be away from the hotel, I couldn't relax in the tense presence of Jake and his utterly reckless driving. Perhaps I would've been okay with it, if we'd been running free, rather than reliant on the car. From the way his heart thundered so heavily, I knew he probably wanted to shift more than anything right now, and let his hind legs propel him even faster into the night without the constraint of roads and signage and rules.

"How far to West Virginia?" He suddenly asked. I didn't need to consult my phone or a map to hazard a guess.

"About a – another thousand miles?"

"So that's like what, 24 hours?"

It was actually more like eighteen, but I wasn't about to tell him that. "Jake, you can't just drive non-stop to West Virginia. Don't be ridiculous!"

"No, but I _can_ get us as close as possible, and as far away from Sioux Falls and South Dakota as I can in the next couple'a hours."

It only then occurred to me that we were driving east, when we should have been heading south, straight down the borderline of Nebraska and through to Iowa. Instead, this route was taking us to Minnesota.

"We're going the wrong way."

"No," he corrected. "We're just taking the route that isn't marked on the map."

I realised then that if someone _had_ been searching our hotel room, they probably would have found our road map. So it was a 50/50 chance that they'd still be following us right now, unless, they _wanted_ us to freak out and change directions? It was still a 50/50 probability… but inevitably, they'd still know where our finally destination was, which is what bothered me most of all.

"Are we still heading for Mill Creek?"

"Yeah," he confidently confirmed. "Unless Alice calls before we get there."

Staring dead ahead at the road, I stopped to collate all this rapid-fire information. Most of my family were on a plane right now, which would probably be landing soon. If they were in any danger though, they would never have even boarded the plane. Meanwhile, Carlisle and Emmett were in Forks, with the addition of the pack's protection. If _they_ were in any danger, they wouldn't have stayed behind. The only people who were potentially in danger right now, were the two people that Alice couldn't see.

"Stop the car," I suddenly demanded. The city was barely behind us, and the next sign of civilisation was probably another fifteen or twenty minutes away, but I didn't care. I was so tired of running. When Jake ignored me though, and even had the audacity to push the meter further, I completely lost my tether with him.

"I said _stop_ the car Jacob!" Not giving him time to ignore me this time, my hand reached for the passenger door, and I forced it open. Bye-bye safety lock. He instantly slammed his foot down on the break as soon as the rush of air hit him, along with the realisation that I was prepared to jump out the moving vehicle.

" _Fuck_!" He cursed, and I quickly slammed the door shut again as he in turn trying to control the car as we spun off the freeway and onto the dirt trail beyond. My shoulder slammed against the door, threatening to shove it open again if it hadn't of been for my seatbelt tugging me back. Bracing myself as we spun, I heard the suitcase spill off the backseat, alongside Jake's continuous cursing as he frantically turned the wheel to stablise our momentum.

The car finally skid to a complete stop, and with a jerk I bounced forwards and back against the car seat. Even though the car had stopped though, my heart was still beating frantically, and just like Jake, I stared ahead as I tried to calm myself down. I think that was the craziest thing I'd ever done in my whole seven years – 'almost' seven be damned right now. Jake was quick to remind me, about the crazy part, as he suddenly snapped his head in my direction.

"What the _hell_ Ness? Are you fucking _crazy_!? Why would you even -?!"

Taking a deep breath, I frantically fumbled with my seat belt until I head the snag of the lock coming loose.

" _Ness_!" Jake barked at me, but my hand just reached for the door and in the blink of an eye, I'd pushed myself free from the car. It was too stuffy, and tense in there. I needed space, and clean air. I needed to think, because right now, _yes_ , I felt like I really was going crazy.

On cue, I heard the driver's door slam shut too, followed by hasty steps across the mixture of sun-dried dirt and red gravel stones. In spite of me needing space right now, I still found myself crossing around the car bonnet, mirroring Jake without even needing to look up and take notice of his direction. I heard his palm slam down on the bonnet as he sharply weaved his way to the right. Putting a hand to my hip, and the other hand to the back of my head, I gripped a handful of my hair as I kept walking straight.

"I can't do this anymore," I finally said. To my relief, my words had Jake stilling by the car bonnet, allowing me to take a few steps forward. I could hear his heart beat hammering still, like he was competing against my own.

"I'm sick, and I'm tired of constantly running away." Swallowing back against the nervous lump in my throat, I finally tilted my head to cast a glance over my shoulder.

If it was my 'fate' to be chased across the entire continent by an untraceable force, then so be it. Let whatever or whoever it was find me, and face me, head on. It was time to be brave, and face up to my future, starting with Jacob.

"No more running Jake," I firmly stated, as I turned from the feet up to face him full-on. "From any _thing_ or… or from any _one_."

The way he was staring back at me so intently as he heaved heavy breaths into his lungs, filled me with confidence. It was like we were trapped in our own bubble, and nothing else mattered around us; just me, and him. I know we'd only been on the road for what, three days? But my feelings for him had been there a lot longer, slowly getting stronger and stronger until here I was, struggling to even breath if it meant holding onto this secret for any longer. I had to tell him. I had to set myself free from his torturous agony, even if it meant rejection. At least then, I could face whatever was hunting me down, knowing that I had no regrets.

I guess all those novels and plays that I've read have turned me into a real drama queen, but whatever. This is _my_ story – my life. In the moment, in the here and the now, I knew exactly what I wanted; and it was staring right at me.

"I…" My courage waned slightly, as I struggled for the right words. "There's something I need to tell you, Jake."

Tentatively, I stepped towards him, and noticed how his body tensed. How his lips parted, to gape at me, and how it was now his turn to brace himself as he leaned back against the car bonnet. He lowered his body slightly, so he could rest his rear against the sturdy metal.

 _I can do this_ , I told myself as I stopped in front of him. No, better yet, I could _show_ him. I didn't need any further words, when all I had to do, was carefully lift my right hand, until the pads of my fingertips and the flat of my palm gently pressed against his left cheek. His skin was burning hotter than usual, and I felt him actually flinch under my touch. I didn't let his initial reaction dissuade me though, as my eyes searched his and begged him not to run. I saw his pupils dilate, as he focused on me, and that's when I pushed my thoughts and emotions through to the other side.

I didn't mean for it to be an explosion of frozen and moving images against vibrant colours and sounds, but it was hard for me to concentrate on one sole emotion, and even harder for me to focus on just one thing that I loved about Jacob. Whilst trying to think about how happy and safe he made me feel in a rush of warm pinks and tangerine hues, I was also thinking about how he could disarm me with a single look, or signature grin. I pictured his face in all its' beauty, and his smile that shone down on me like the sun. Gasping, I felt myself actually getting warmer, because the rays of his warmth were kissing my skin even now. I thought back to all those times we'd ran together, laughing in unison. I thought of our last baseball match, and couldn't stop the image of our collision and how amazing his body resting over mine had felt. How I'd wanted him to kiss me, even then. I imagined what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against mine, and my thoughts instantly shifted to the memory of him holding me close to him, as we sat on my bed. My tear-stained face calming to the reassurance of his lips pressed against my forehead.

I suddenly felt strong hands grasping either side of my hips, and fingers pressing against the inconsequential barrier of my jeans. The contact forced my thoughts to shift to my _Dirty Dancing_ dream; our pelvis' rocking and grinding together whilst his hand slid down my bare stomach. With a gasp, I closed my eyes, trying to refocus my thoughts. I thought of our ore recent slow dance instead, and the butterflies that had erupted in my belly, and the tingle down my spine when I'd felt Jake's breath against me. The same tingling sensation I'd felt when he'd held me close to him in the pacific ocean, letting our bodies rock to the waves, even as they threatened to push us further out to sea.

The same tingling sensation I felt now, as the tip of his nose brushed against mine, together with his forehead leaning against me. Eyes fluttering open to re-focus on the real Jake, who was just inches away from me now, I breathed against him as I uttered the only words I needed to say right now.

"I'm falling… fallen, for _you_ , Jake."

And at last, at _long_ long last, he closed the gap and prevented any further need to speak. The moment that our lips lightly touched, and my bated breath was caged behind the sensation of just me against him; I dropped my hand to his neck. Then, he pulled me against him, wasting no time in tilting his head slightly so he could claim just my upper lip more fervently between his. It may have been my first kiss, but I'd seen a dozen performed on the screen. Besides, it was just base, natural instinct to react by sucking on his bottom lip, which was likewise caught between my parted lips.

It was then, as I felt myself willingly leaning towards him, letting his body alone support my weight, that I murmured against him softly. His hands crept up, firmly holding my waist and keeping me in place, so he could lean back slightly without me following. Our lips unlocked, and with eyes dancing around my face, he smiled as he lifted a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear.

"I've already fallen," he simply said in a huskier voice. I didn't need to hear anything else. I didn't need any more confirmation or clarity. Pushing against his restraint, my lips found his again, as a match was struck between us. All my pent-up frustration burnt through me, fuelling my impatience to skip past the 'first tender kiss' phase to a more passionate and needy make-out session at 200 degrees. I felt the metal of the hubcap against my shins, as I stepped completely between Jake's thighs. Felt his entire arm circle around my back, pushing me against him as he leant back against the bonnet with just one arm supporting us both. I felt the glorious press of my breasts against his hardened chest, and the echo of his heartbeat vibrating against me.

"I'm –" He tried to speak in between kisses, whilst I was trying my hardest not to just, climb over him right now. His lips tasted so good, but I wanted to taste his skin too. Starting with the adorable dimple on his chin. "Crazy about you Ness." He finally said, as I ducked my head to do just that.

"Not as crazy as I feel about you," I murmured against him, as I nipped his chin between my flat teeth. If this was now a competition to judge who was crazy about who more, then I was determined to prove myself the winner.

Suddenly, I felt my back hit the cold metal of the car bonnet, as our positions were reversed with a simple turn. The metal creaked under the sudden force of my body being pushed against it, but then my bottom lip was caught between Jake's lips, and the cold metal beneath me was gone. With his arm slipping beneath my arching back, I let him pull me with him, as he leaned back.

" _This_ is crazy," he tried to reason as he tucked his chin to escape my needy mouth. With an anxious gasp, my hand clutched the back of his neck, and tried to pull him back to me. I was pretty certain that my cheeks were flushed bright red, but if my mouth wasn't swollen right now, then we weren't done kissing.

Jake resisted me though, and stood up straight instead, forcing my arm to slip from his shoulder. Sitting up straight too, I took a moment to stare at his expanding chest, and inhaled an equally deep breath into my own strained lungs. _Okay_ , so maybe I had got a little bit carried away, but what did he expect? I had six months of pent up frustration to release!

"We're like sitting ducks out here."

I flashed an ironic smile at him, as adrenaline tingled through me once more. Being with Jake was such a rush, even more than I'd expected or envisioned in my many dreams and wild fantasies.

"I don't care," I confessed. Leaning forwards, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his chest. Anyone would be brainless to just _try_ to attack us right now. We were unstoppable… Bulletproof… _Radioactive_.

" _I_ care," Jake retorted firmly. I just hugged him a little tighter, stubbornly enjoying his warmth for a while longer. Both our bodies tensed as one though, as our ears pricked to the sudden alert of a high pitched wailing in the distance, getting closer, and closer.

"Oh _shit_ ," I heard Jake curse, before pushing away from me. Feet skidding in the dirt, he rounded the car bonnet and the driver's door pulled open in a matter of seconds.

Realising what the incoming wails meant, I remembered how he'd drove like a madman through the city streets, and had seemingly managed to avoid the attention of the law. Not for much longer though, if those sirens had anything to do with the fact that we'd probably broken several road laws before stopping here. It was the only realisation I needed to cross round to the other side of the car, and jump into the passenger seat.

Jake turned the car keys, igniting the engine just as red lights could be seen racing down the freeway behind us in the rear view mirror. "What are you waiting for?" I barked, as rather than slam his foot down, Jake's hands instead rested on the wheel. "C'mon Jake, we can outrun them!"

Funny, coming from me; the person who'd just declared that she was tired of running. Well, it seemed that Jake was tired too, because with the flick of his wrist, the engine suddenly cut off.

"Not this time, Ness." He sombrely sighed, and suddenly pushed the driver's door open. I knew why he did it; because otherwise we'd be chased all the way to the next city. We'd have to deviate and keep running from the law, until our sins eventually caught up with us. There was no way we could start a new life in West Virginia, if we were still on the run from the law. There was no way we could resume our old lives again, if our alternate identities were that of fugitives on the run.

We had to give ourselves up, and face the consequences of 'Jacob Wolfe' and his reckless driving. I'm pretty sure that 'Mr. Wolfe' wouldn't be allowed on the road again any time soon; at least not anywhere in the vicinity of South Dakota and Minnesota.

Grabbing my phone, I made sure to shove it in my back pocket, as I too exited the vehicle. Whilst the police car finally slowed to a stop ahead of us, Jake simply lifted his hands up in defeat, as red and blue lights surrounded us both. Two cops got out; one shone his torch on Jake's face, and then mine. The other shone his torch on our vehicle license plate, and then nodded to his partner. The flashlights were hardly necessary though – it was barely 10pm after all, and still light enough. I figured they were doing it for the sheer authority effect.

"That's the one," he confirmed. I glanced to Jake, but he was staring ahead, keeping his cool as the older of the two cops stepped towards him.

"Having quite the wild night, aren't you." He rhetorically stated. "Four red lights, and 20miles over the limit. D'you know what that means, sonny Jim?"

I knew exactly what that meant, and more, as the cop suddenly forced Jake to lean against the car so he could cuff his wrists. Meanwhile, the other cop approached me, with the bright white flashlight shining directly at my eyes.

The plain and simple answer? My parents were going to kill us both…

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 13: "Grounded"_


	13. Chapter 13: Grounded

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance.  
_

 _ **A.N**_ _. I'm actually a little shocked that it took 13 chapters to get to this point in the story, and hopefully the number 13 is lucky rather than the alternative! Don't worry, I still have some twists and turns planned, so this is very much a transitional point in the story (and hopefully not too dull). It's safe to say though that there will probably be at least another 13 chapters of the story to go – but I don't have a more accurate number to offer at this point. As always, I'm just going to keep on writing until the story reaches a natural conclusion. Of course, I do have a bunch of things still planned out before I get there… so watch this space! xD_

 _And without much further ado…_

* * *

 **Chapter 13: "Grounded"**

I'd never given much thought to a lot of things, and it definitely occurred to me now that I'd definitely never given much thought to what it might be like to be sat in a police station at 10:30 on a Tuesday evening, in an unfamiliar city miles away from home. So as I fidgeted for the umpteenth time on the hard back bench I'd been told to 'sit down and wait' on, I tried hard not to focus on the fact that the grey haired and grey bearded man on the bench opposite, made the whole corridor stink profoundly of whiskey and urine. In addition to that, the whole building carried an attachment to old coffee beans and nicotine in ever nook and cranny. After almost an hour of waiting around, I knew that my memory of the Sioux Falls police station was most definitely scarred by all of these unpleasant smells combined.

As I sat there, waiting for the cops to give me a reason to hold me in custody any longer than they already had; my mind drifted to how surreal this all was. From dancing with Jake, to arguing, to kissing him on my dad's car bonnet, to being _here_ … Pressing my lips together, I was comforted by the taste of him still lingering there, and if I really concentrated hard to get past all the other smells; I could still smell his muskier scent attached to my clothes.

The tramp opposite suddenly started to violently cough, pulling me away from my 'happy place' and confirming to me that I could no longer just politely sit there, trying to ignore him. Lifting my cuffed wrists, I pulled the neckline of my t-shirt up to cover my nose, closed my eyes, and sighed. _Much_ better.

"Miss Dwyer?" A female police officer finally called from the doorway, and I reacted probably a second later than I normally would have, if she'd called my real name. To the human eye though, the difference wasn't noticeable. "This way."

Standing up, I moved to her, and let her direct me into the main office. Only a few cops were at their mahogany and metal desks; some were taking rapid fire calls, whilst others were interviewing arrested people in silver handcuffs. Glancing down at my own cuffed wrists, I heaved a sigh as I flopped down on the hard chair I was gestured towards. The female cop sat down behind the desk opposite, and I saw that she had my passport and credit card in front of her, along with my cell phone and a sample of the rolled up money from my suitcase. There was also a whole bunch of paperwork stacked up and scattered everywhere, but I couldn't see my name anywhere, so I didn't bother to pinpoint anything else in particular. There was only one thing that bothered me right now, and that was the fact that they had actually searched through my stuff. Thankfully my phone was locked, but the overall invasion of privacy without my permission had me glaring up at the cop. In return, she just clasped her hands on the desk and calmly stared at me with ice-blue eyes.

"You're a long way from home, Vanessa." She started, and my brows flinched as I quickly recalled where 'Vanessa Dwyer's' home should be. _Alaska_. I'd already come with up a cover story, about how we were visiting friends in Montana and then travelling. I also decided not to talk back to the police officer, unless she asked me a clear question.

"Hmm… the silent treatment, huh?" The officer immediately picked up on my tightly pursed lips, and offered a slight smile. "Alright, let's try that again. What are you doing here in South Dakota?"

It only took me a handful of seconds to construct an answer in my mind. "Summer road trip," I simply said, deciding against giving out too many details. "Before college starts."

"Where are you going to college?"

"Alaska," I immediately answered. "So I can be close to family."

"I see," she smiled. "And, what is your relationship to a… 'Mr Jacob Wolfe'?"

I almost snorted at the sound of his ridiculous name, but managed to keep a straight face as I told the truth. "We've known each other since we were kids." Well, _almost_ the truth. "He's my best friend."

"Mmhmm," the officer murmured. "Any particular reason _why_ your best friend was driving 20miles over the speed limit, and running red lights; putting both you and him, not to mention additional drivers and passengers, at risk of extremely fatal collision?"

That was a helluva long sentence, and as I pursed my lips, it took me a lot longer this time to think of a good enough answer. In the end, I gave up. "Shouldn't I have a lawyer present if you're going to ask me questions like that?"

The cop quirked a brow, probably because she'd heard that defensive excuse a dozen times before, and would keep on hearing it so long as her arrested victims had something to hide or defend themselves against. I couldn't deny that Jake had been speeding and driving like a maniac, but I also couldn't tell her _why_ he'd been trying to get us both out of the city so recklessly. If I started raving about ancient vampires and their equally ancient grudges, she'd probably put me under the breathalyser test again. Or call the white suits.

"Smart girl," she instead concluded. I wanted to correct her on her use of descriptive terminology, but decided it was best to bite down on my tongue. Leaning forwards, she lowered her voice, and spoke like she was sharing a secret with me. "Were you having a lover's quarrel?"

I kept my mouth firmly shut, and she briefly narrowed her eyes at my silence. "Very well," she signed. Resigning to lean back to rest her clasped hands on her stomach, the cop frowned before attempting a different approach. "It seems a little strange to me though; two 'friends' setting out on a road trip, but only one of whom can legally drive."

"I didn't take control of the wheel at any point, if that's what you're asking." I finally bit back.

"Of course not," she offered another cold and ironic smile. I guess I'd walked right into that one, so I took a calming breath and leaned back against the hard back chair.

"Well," the officer started again. "You'll be pleased to know that your parents finally returned my calls. I know you're 18 but, being an out-of-towner with no family nearby, I took the liberty of contacting them."

 _Oh crap._

"Unfortunately for you, they can't be here until morning."

"Are you saying I have to spend the night in a cell?"

"Course not! This ain't a motel, missy." She chuckled, and then slid my phone towards me. "Your parents assured me that they'd take care of your accommodation for tonight."

"And what about Jake?"

"Mr Wolfe?" She rubbed her palms together, like she took some enjoyment in what she was about to say. "Oh he'll be held in custody, until we book him and decide on how to proceed with the charges." Leaning forwards, she wrinkled her nose at me, and adopted a more patronising tone. "We don't take speeding and dangerous driving lightly here in Sioux Falls."

I guess a simple speeding ticket was out of the question then, even though no one had been injured, to my knowledge at least. Unless one of the driver's we'd passed was suddenly sueing for whiplash or something.

"Can I see him?"

"Not unless you're a lawyer," she smirked. " _Are_ you a lawyer, Miss Dwyer?"

Her patronising tone was really starting to tick me off. "No," I mumbled. Give me five minutes with a law book though, and I'm pretty sure I'd know what to say to get Jake out of this mess.

"What if I paid his bail though?" I asked instead, and to my surprise, the officer actually laughed.

"Oh we won't release bail until he's been booked, and as you can see Miss Dwyer, we're a little busy right now."

Casting a glance around the station, I realised that by 'busy' she probably meant that they'd be detaining Jake for as long as possible, simply because they could.

"Whereas _you_ , miss," she started before pausing to stand. "Are free to go."

Plucking her jangling keys from her belt, she crossed around the table, and waited for me to lift my arms so she could unlock the cuffs from my wrists. As wonderful as it was to have my wrists finally freed, I couldn't be completely at ease knowing that Jake was locked up in a cell somewhere in this very building. I was part the reason why he was even in this mess, and yet he was the one paying for the crime.

"You can collect the rest of your things at the front desk," the cop instructed, as she slid my passport across the desk. I picked it up, followed by my credit card, cell phone and the see-through plastic bag containing some of the cash. "Lot'a cash you're carrying around." She commented then, narrowing her eyes once more.

I narrowed mine right back at her, as I started to pocket my items. "Like I said; road trip." And lesson learnt; because if I ever had to deal with cops again – with the exception of Charlie – it would definitely be way too soon.

Keeping my head down as I moved to the main front desk, I checked my phone and found half a dozen messages from Alice. _That_ was a relief, but only until I realised that it was probably because my mom and dad were too livid to talk to me right now. Either that, or Alice was kindly sparring me from their inevitable scolding. In conclusion, the various messages eventually resulted in the address of a hotel nearby, where I was to 'stay put'. I didn't like the sound of that, or the fact that I was expected to just leave Jake in a jail cell whilst I stayed the night in a comfy hotel room. Busting him out wasn't an option though, I reasoned to myself. Not tonight, anyway.

The young man at the front desk was pleasant enough, as he handed over my rucksack and suitcase. He even asked if I needed a ride home, which I politely declined in favour of hailing down a cab instead. Trust my 'persuasive' vampire aura to start kicking in _now_ though when I needed it a lot more earlier.

It was only as I left the station, and stood on the curb waiting for an empty cab, that I suddenly realised why I was in this whole mess to begin with: The Hilton room, with the TV switched on… On cue, goose bumps raised and climbed up my arms again. Was my weird stalker watching me now, taking note of the fact that I was alone? My eyes scanned the surrounding area whilst I fought to keep myself calm and relaxed. So much for getting out of the city tonight.

 _No more running_ , I reminded myself with a deep breath.

I made it to the hotel in one piece, which was a short ride to the north of the city, and just opposite the regional airport. I figured that Alice – _hopefully Alice_ – would be getting a plane directly here and then dragging me onto the next flight to West Virginia. I'd already made up my mind that I wasn't going _anywhere_ without Jacob.

The room was simple, and I had a double bed all to myself, not that sleep was on the agenda for tonight. My grumbling stomach was quick to remind me that I hadn't eaten since lunch time, although I think the hunger pangs were also joined by my long list of anxieties. The first thing I did, was shut the curtains over the window, not that it would make much difference if I _was_ being tracked. It made me feel safer though, just knowing that no one could actually see me right now. Once I'd done a quick sweep of the bathroom, and pinpointed all my exits, I finally sat down on the edge of the bed and hugged my rucksack to me like a comfort blanket.

I was now well and truly alone, but certainly not by my own volition.

Fumbling to unzip my bag, it dawned on me that I should probably check that everything was in order. Tipping everything out on the bed, the empty plastic container tumbled out – I'd already thrown the turning pie slice away, much to Jake's annoyance; along with rolls of money, and Jake's crumpled up black t-shirt. The same one he'd worn to La Push, on our last night in Forks. Some sand sprinkled out on the bed, and I smiled to myself at the realisation that I was still carrying a bit of Forks with me now. I still had a piece of Jake to cling to as well, and my hands were already tugging the material closer until I had it pressed against my nose. It was comforting to be able to dull out the other smells in the hotel room, so that all I could smell was Jake, and the Pacific Ocean. Rolling back without even thinking about it, I guess it was only a matter of time until my pleasant daydreams recalling recent memories of Jake, transformed into actual dreams. Against the lull of the ocean in my mind, my heartrate naturally slowed into a perfectly relaxed rhythm.

 **…**

A sudden, vibrating pulse against my hip, brought my consciousness back to reality with a startled gasp, and when I realised I was no longer rolling in the sand with a laughing Jake, I finally reached into my jeans pocket and tugged my phone free.

"Nessie! Would you please answer the door before I'm forced to break it down?" I heard my Aunt Alice demand before I even had time to mutter a hello. She hung up then, and with a hand attempting to comb my fingers lazily through my sleep-tousled hair, I lazily moved to open the hotel room door.

Hurricane Alice barely waited for me to step aside, before she barged her way in. " _Honestly_ , Ness, I've been knocking for ages!" I figured that 'ages' for her was the equivalent of three knocks, or barely a minute.

Scrunching my nose as I focused my sleepy gaze on her, I noticed she was practically covered from head to toe, concealing as much of her skin as possible. It was the downfall of being a vampire with sparkling skin, especially during the summer.

"And you _could_ have chosen a cloudier city to get yourself arrested in," she added, as she no doubt noticed I'd been staring at her attire. With a sigh, she sat herself down on the edge of the bed, and removed her cape-like, marine-blue summer jacket. Underneath, she had a long sleeved, cotton white top, and a silk scarf in blue and white, which she also tugged away from her neck in one, clean sweep.

"Okay, we only have a little under an hour before we need to check in." Just like the removal of her unnecessary clothing, she wasted no time confirming my assumptions. As she finally removed her sunglasses though, so that her amber eyes could focus on my chocolate brown hues; I knew that part of this hour would involve a combination of scolding and information gathering.

"So, are you going to tell me what hell you were both thinking?"

I was still standing by the door, with my hand still resting on the door knob, like I was sub-consciously getting ready to flee from the inevitable interrogation. I should be counting my lucky stars that it was Alice who'd come to get me, as opposed to the alternative. Instead, my mind was still fixed on Jacob, and how on Earth I was going to convince everyone that he hadn't been as reckless as the police were no doubt trying to paint him.

"It's a long story…" I started. Alice just straightened her back though, and patted the bed next to her.

"That's okay, we have time." She part assured me and part demanded that I continue. So, with a sigh, I made my way over, and sat down beside her.

"Just… don't freak out or anything, but… when I – when _we_ got back to our hotel room, last night, there was just… something not right."

"Not right _how_?" She instantly urged, and I felt my starved stomach tighten and grumble with the combination of hunger and nerves.

"Well… the TV was on but, the door had been locked." I could see Alice quirking a brow, probably jumping to the same conclusion I had; that room service had for whatever reason paid a visit. "The only problem was; we hadn't even switched the TV on, and the room didn't _smell_ like anyone else had been in it."

That definitely got Alice's attention, and I could practically hear the cogs turning in her brain as she fell to pensive silence.

"I know it sounds weird but, something just felt a little bit… _off_ , about the room. I know I didn't want to stay there anymore, and Jake made the hasty decision to not only get me out of the hotel, but also, the entire city."

Alice's sigh told me that she was up to speed, but she clarified with words anyway. "Hence the speeding?"

"Hence the speeding," I confirmed.

"Hmm!" She sighed again, and finally regarded me with raised brows and briefly pursed lips. "Not the smartest move on Jacob's part, but at least now it all makes sense." With another sigh, she rolled her eyes, and then reached to give my hand a little squeeze. " _Now_ do you see why _not_ being able to 'see' you makes us all worry so much? Especially me! Trying to protect you feels like such a Catch 22 sometimes."

"I know…" I admitted, feeling a bit torn over the whole thing. If Alice had seen my dad's decision resulting in this, I never would have had three days on the road with Jake. Which inevitably meant that I never would have been pushed to confessing my feelings towards him, and vice versa.

Whilst I was distracted by the warm and fuzzy feeling of Jake being mutually crazy about me, Alice abruptly stood up, and folded her arms as she paced to the side. "All else aside, it's imperative now that we focus on just getting you home safely."

"But - !" I quickly cut in and shot to my feet. "Wh-What about _Jacob_? We can't just… leave him behind!" Before I could start to firmly put my foot down though, about not leaving without him, Alice stepped towards me and calmed me with the literal shushing of hands against my arms.

"Calm down before you hurt yourself," she half-soothed and half-mocked with the roll of her eyes. "Even though Edward wouldn't be against leaving the doggie in a kennel for another night; _Jasper's_ working on bailing him out right now, as we speak." She smiled then, and pretty much had a twinkle in her eye. "He cuts a very convincing lawyer figure you know, and I should think so too. " Pausing to wrinkle her nose, she breathed a little giggle and lowered her voice. "Even if he did only last two years at law school..."

A weight was slowly eased from my shoulders, as I realised that if _anyone_ could just walk into the police station posing as a lawyer, and walk out with all charges against Jacob dropped, then that person was definitely my Uncle Jasper. His southern charm and strategic mind was sure to do the trick, not to mention his ability to influence an entire room. The cops wouldn't stand a chance against his persuasive wiles.

"Now then," Alice smiled. "Shall we?"

I managed to get cleaned up a little and even had time to eat breakfast, before Alice escorted me to the airport. Although I pretended to enjoy the distraction of duty-free shopping around the various airport shops, all the while, I was actually just waiting for Alice's phone to buzz with an update from Jasper. About ten minutes before we were due to board the plane, the news finally arrived.

"Looks like we're not gonna be on that flight," I heard Jasper explain. "Charges are all dropped, but the car's still impounded, and _Wolfe_ 's record is hardly squeaky clean anymore. We gotta – HEY!"

" _Jasper_?" Alice immediately gasped his name, whilst my heart leapt in my throat.

"S'ok darlin'," his voice finally returned with sigh. "Just the dog gettin' off his leash."

"Well... it's probably for the best," Alice reasoned with a sympathetic glance in my direction. I pretended I was more preoccupied with a rack of designer sunglasses, rather than the details of their conversation.

"Reckon he'll make his own way there, eventually. I'll jus' finish cleanin' up this mess here and take the scenic route back, don't you worry."

"Who's worried?" Alice smirked, and they both laughed before a series of 'I love you's' and other sickly sweet endearments followed. I wasn't listening anymore though; not now that I was too busy worrying about Jake all over again. What was going through his mind right now? Why did he run off, instead of just staying with Jasper!?

"Come along, Ness." Alice turned her attention back to me, and looped her arm around mine. I had the feeling she just wanted to get me high up in the air, so I didn't have any other choice but to sit tight and wait until my feet were back on the ground.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tempting to try to escape Alice and hunt down Jake, but in the end, I was also sensible enough to trust my aunt and uncle's reasoning. If Jasper was comfortable with letting Jake go like that, then I figured I'd just have to deal with it too. Even though the more that I thought about it, the more the situation irked me – especially knowing that Jake travelled light. No cell phone to contact me on, and probably only a few dollars in his jeans, if he even managed to keep hold of them from this point on. He'd probably shift and run the rest of the way to West Virginia as the wolf. I guess that was one way to shake off his fake identity completely and start up fresh in our new 'home'.

The first class flight from Sioux Falls to Charleston was just over four hours, and then it was a further two and a half hour drive over to Mill Creek. I'd managed to distract myself on the plane with a movie and music, combined with occasional conversation with Alice and the in-flight brunch. There was further music in the car, but Alice spoke loudly and enthusiastically over it, as she updated me everything I'd missed. Her version of what had happened with the Romanians hardly differed from what Jacob had told me already, but she also didn't focus on that subject; preferring instead to talk about the new house and the fact that she had an interview at my high school tomorrow. I knew she was trying to get me to focus on getting my life back on track, but I already knew that until I was assured that Jacob was safe, it was going to be impossible for me to settle in.

"We're here!" Alice excitedly announced as she navigated us down a narrow 'road' thickly lined by the cover trees. If I didn't know for a _fact_ that we were in West Virginia, I could've sworn that we were back in Forks. Technically speaking, we'd driven in and out of Mill Creek, past the Tygart Valley River and 'Dry Run', through to the watershed and deciduous forestry beyond. Most important of all, the sun was concealed behind overcast skies, and the warm summer rays only occasionally managed to peek out from the blanket of light grey and white.

Then, a structure could be seen more clearly up ahead through the gaps in the trees, and I realised we were 'home' at last. Once more, I was reminded of the family home in Forks, as the building up ahead was a contemporary mix of glass and concrete combined with woodwork and stone. The most stand out feature though, was the more hexagonal stone 'tower' on the west wing of the building, that reminded me of a windmill. It quite possibly had been, once upon a time, but the blades were gone, and entire top half of the tower was missing. The structure mostly just formed one side of the otherwise square, three-storey house.

"Welcome home!" Alice chirped, as she cut the engine. I was barely out the passenger door though, before my mom and dad were stepping out to greet us, followed by Rosalie and Esme. My dad kept a serious expression, but held back slightly with his hands in his pockets. My mom however, rushed over to pull me into a tight hug. When she pulled back though, her pout was pursed and her brows were frowning as she shook her head at me, momentarily lost for words. I knew what was coming though…

"You are _so_ grounded," and there it was. "For… _ever_." Folding my arms at her ridiculous punishment, I rolled my eyes as I saw the tell-tale sign of my dad trying to read my mind.

"Nice to see you too mom," I muttered. On cue, she started to stutter an exasperated and mixed response.

"Don't – do you – _four_ red lights, Nessie? _Four_!" With a huffed breath, she gave up trying to squash all her questions together in one fell swoop, and just stared at me instead with an incredulous glare. That's when dad finally moved over to put an arm around her waist.

"Let's get inside," he suggested. I knew then he'd either read my frazzled mind, or Alice's – which was more likely since I was just trying to focus on keeping my head clear behind a wall of brick. Still, the knot in his brow and flat tone of his voice just gave away that he knew _something_ , at least.

Once we were through the double front doors and standing in the main living room, which had dark wooden colonial beams and magnolia painted walls; I just resigned myself to explaining everything like I had with Alice a few hours ago. Quite frankly, I was tired already, just from the journey and all the worrying alone. These past few days had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, and I felt like I needed to pinch myself several times right now, just to make sure I was really standing here, surrounded by most of my family, in a whole new United State.

"So that's how we wound up being arrested," I eventually concluded my story. At least Rosalie and Esme cast their sympathetic eyes at me, whereas my mom and dad just exchanged worried looks. I could tell they were probably wishing they hadn't let me out of their sight, but I couldn't slip and let my thoughts turn to Jacob. Ironically, 'home' felt more like a jail cell than the police station did. At least then, I was free to think whatever I wanted.

On cue, I caught my dad lifting his penetrative glare my way, and I knew he'd just heard that. _Damn it, stay out of my head!_

"We'll take turns keeping a patrol over the next few days," he announced instead, keeping his voice calm and level. "Make sure nothing's still following us."

"But, not leaving any trace though," my mom pondered out loud. "Is that even possible?"

"I'll talk to Carlisle," my dad was quick to reason and assure. "Maybe he or Eleazar know something. In the meantime," he briefly turned his attention to me, before addressing everyone again. "We need to focus our energy on getting settled in here."

"What about Jake?" I finally braved asking the number one question that was still burning in my mind, no matter how hard I'd tried to suppress it. Five sets of amber eyes looked at me, and Rosalie even had the nerve to scoff.

"I'm sure he'll find his way home," Esme spoke up in her soothing voice. "When he's ready to join us."

That wasn't good enough though! What if he had the Romanians on his tail, or the Volturi, or whatever it was that had paid us an unwelcome visit in Sioux Falls?

"I seriously _doubt_ he's being hounded by anyone right now." My dad chipped in, and answered all my questions in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, Rosalie smirked at the pun.

"He's probably sulking with his tail between his legs," she dryly concluded. "Who gets caught by _humans_ anyway?" She lightly snickered, and I could already see that she was going to use this ammunition against him for as long as it lasted. " _Amateur_."

"Anyway!" Alice quickly cut in, before my desire to snap at Rose to just shut up for once in her life, went beyond a death stare. "We're here now, and Nessie's safe. Can we please stop bickering and start getting excited about our new home instead?" That's when she raced forwards to grab my hand. "Let me give you the tour."

I wasn't in the mood to 'get excited' about anything right now, but for the sake of keeping the peace, and keeping my head clear of any other thoughts, I let myself be distracted by Alice. Since I'd already seen the main living space, we started in the kitchen, which was separated from the walk-through lounge and dining area by several beams and just the framing of an open doorway. Admittedly, I was already warming to all the period features of the house, which echoed the straight lines of the trees surrounding us outside. Carlisle's panelled study was also downstairs, occupying the hexagonal west wing section. Adjoined to it was the downstairs matching oak panel bathroom, and a conservatory space, which I knew straight away from all the potted plants and comfortable wicker chairs, was a space fit for Esme to relax in.

Moving upstairs via a wide staircase, Carlisle and Esme's bedroom was first, whereas Rosalie and Emmett's room was to the right. As we moved down the corridor to what even Alice was starting to call 'the West Wing', I knew we'd finally reached my room as she stilled outside the door.

"Are you ready?" She tested, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a little excited now. With a mischievous smile befitting her pixie looks, the solid oak panelled door was finally pushed open, and my new, hexagonal bedroom was revealed. The first thing I noticed, other than the huge double four-poster bed pushed against the far wall with extravagant purple and burgundy drapery; was that the room itself wasn't as bright as my previous. I counted four large and evenly spaced windows, which definitely had been modernised to a bigger size and arched style. They let in plenty of natural light, but it was a far-cry from the more literal, glass walls of the previous house.

"Well?" Alice chimed from behind me, and moved ahead to stand in the middle of the room with an excited grin plastered on her face. "What do you think?"

"It's…" I struggled for a positive word. "Different?" And failed. I was just so used to my more modern and contemporary room, whereas this one had a more… classical and even historical feel to it. Not that I hated history, at all. It was just… _different_.

"We were a little torn over whether to give you the windmill room or not," Alice admitted, and clarified my suspicions about the stone add-on. "But since you've always got your nose buried in a period novel or play, it seemed rude not to."

"I'm sure I can get used to it," I reasoned, as my eyes jumped from one new fixture to the next. Next to my curved desk was a wide bookcase, but with plenty of space still on the shelves for my collection to keep growing. There was also a comfy armchair near one of the windows, where I could imagine myself sitting and reading. My acoustic guitat rested near the wall, and I'd already spotted my violin, cello and harp downstairs near the piano in the main room. Finally, there were two doors next to each other, which I realised led to my new closet and adjoining bathroom.

"Wait 'til you see your closet," Alice continued to beam. "But first –" She grabbed my hand, and led me up to the second and final floor.

There were only two rooms left upstais; one incredibly large space for Alice and Jasper, and a smaller space for my mom and dad. I was beyond grateful to see that my parents were on the opposite side of the house to my room. What was above my room however, was a decked out and partially covered balcony area. To be honest, this was so far the most amazing feature of the house. I could imagine everyone gathered outside in the evening, and for me personally, it was an awesome little getaway for sunbathing and just, chillaxing in general. The downside though, was that everyone would be living under one roof. Everyone, except for Jacob.

"So, that's the family house." Alice concluded, as we made our way back to my room. "Edward and Bella still have a little cottage of their own to escape to, not far from here." Geez, it almost like she'd read my mind! "And Rose and Emmett too."

Skipping over to open my closet door, Alice practically squealed with delight at all the pretty assortment of colours that were immediately revealed as the ceiling lights turned on.

"Wow," my impressed brows lifted over widening eyes. Against my will, I was pulled closer to the array of fabrics and stacked shoes. "Are all these _new_?"

"Of course they're new!" Alice practically scoffed, as if to think otherwise would be blasphemy. "And look!" Like clockwork, she pulled out a burgundy pinafore dress that had already been hung over a white blouse with small, black polka dots. "You'll look _so_ cute in this on your first day of school!"

How Alice was even thinking that far ahead right now, was beyond me. I'd almost completely lost track of time and days, but I figured I still had two weeks of August freedom left before the school term started. Apparently starting two weeks earlier than most schools meant getting an extra week off during the Christmas and Easter breaks.

" _Really_ , Ness. Would you _stop_ worrying about Jacob already?" Alice finally cottoned on to the slip of my forced smile in favour of a light frown, and despite my attempts to resume my façade, she was the one now frowning at me in return.

"I'm sorry, Alice." Leaving her to hang the outfit back in the closet, I moved into my new, still very alien room, and sat down on the bouncy bed. It wasn't long before Alice bounced down next to me, and rested her eyes expectantly on me. "I just need to get used to the house, and being fixed in one place again – that's all."

Though she sighed at my diverted excuse, she also didn't bother trying to push against it. I was allowed to have feelings, after all. No one could tell me otherwise, especially not Alice, who was all about encouraging freedom, expression and an overall zest for life.

"It must have been pretty fun for you both, being out on the open road."

"Yeah but, actually? We mostly argued." I nervously laughed, deflecting her attempt to fish for gossip. "And worried about you guys, and then argued some more."

" _Really_?" She squeaked.

"Yeah…" I trailed off, trying to focus more on building a brick wall around the truth as I focused on all the bad things of the road trip.

Before I could explain to Alice how I'd been mad at my dad, and then mad at Jake for not turning the car around and driving me home, I was instead alerted to footsteps carefully approaching. When I looked to the doorway, my mom eventually appeared in the doorway. Folding her arms, she offered a comforting smile, but couldn't hide her innate awkwardness beyons that, as she folded her arms.

"Edward's taking first patrol," she announced. "And Esme wants to know if you're hungry yet."

"Starving," I admitted. On cue, Alice hopped off the bed.

"I'll go help her downstairs." Of course, we all knew that Esme didn't need any help, but it gave Alice a good enough excuse to leave me and my mom to it. Once she was out of the room, my mom tucked her dark brown hair behind her left ear, and cast her eyes about my room.

"How'd you like your new room?"

"It's a bit strange," I didn't bother trying to lie. "But I don't _not_ like it."

With a half-smile that had a sense of knowing behind it, she moved towards my bookcase. "I imagine everything feels a bit strange right now, for all of us." After tracing her fingertips along the spine of 'The Merchant of Venice', she finally tilted her head to look at me. "Things haven't exactly gone according to plan."

"Well, we're here now." _Mostly_ , I internally added. The family wasn't complete until Jake was back, along with Carlisle and Emmett and Jasper.

"I hope you don't mind that we've put your main bedroom in the family house," she continued. "There's still a room for you in our little cottage, but we thought it made more sense to make the family house the main base, for everyone."

"I don't mind," I shrugged. Until now, I hadn't even thought about it. I realised now that I actually preferred being in the main house. I would make it easier to avoid my dad's eavesdropping. Although, the option to escape to my parent's house like before, still had its' advantages.

Moving away from the bookcase, my mom came over to sit with me on the bed, and gave a little chuckle as she once again tucked her locks behind her ear. "So, grounding you for life was probably a bit much. But, you _are_ grounded for the next two weeks, at least until school starts."

I huffed a breath at my miserable homecoming, and flopped backwards. "Which means?"

"No leaving the house, unless someone's with you."

 _Ugh_. In the words of Jacob, this was bullshit.

"I can't believe you let me drive half way across the States, and now you're telling me I can't even leave the house?"

"We need to just, keep our heads down." She just, blurted out, like she was having to quickly make up excuses. "Figure out how to get our lives back on track after all this mess."

Turning my head towards her, I stared at my mom long and hard. In the end, I reached the conclusion that I was being more than just a little bit selfish. I wasn't the only one who'd been going through an emotional rollercoaster, and I sure as hell wasn't the only one who'd left something precious behind in Forks. I could tell that my mom would be missing Charlie, if she wasn't already.

Sitting up, I leaned in until I was close enough to rest my head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I made you and dad and everyone worry about me."

To my surprise, she huffed a little chuckle. "It's not like you need to try very hard to make that happen. And it's not like you weren't worried about us too," she added, after a brief pause.

Leaning away slightly, I ducked my gaze to the floor briefly, before plucking up the courage to ask my next question. "Are you and dad mad at Jake?"

"Yes and… no," she sighed. "Maybe just, disappointed, on my part, at least." Pulling her leg up onto bed to lay it sideways and bent at the knee, she rested her hands on her ankle and cast a more serious look my way. "If he'd crashed the car, we'd have a whole lot more to be worried about than just keeping your fake ID's clean."

I didn't need to remind her that a simple car crash couldn't possible kill me, because I knew what she was actually alluding to. If a single human found out the truth about any of us, and the Volturi found out, then they'd be snapping our necks and burning our remains in a heartbeat. There was no forgiveness for breaking their ultimate law.

"But he didn't," I was quick to remind my mom instead, of the reality rather than the 'ifs' and the 'buts'. "Crash, I mean."

"I know, and I can't exactly blame him for panicking and then just… giving himself up to the authorities like that, but what he did was still reckless and downright… _stupid_."

I didn't need to ask the question to know that my mom and dad weren't going to trust Jake to take care of me again, not any time soon any way. I did however, still need to ask one thing. "Am I allowed to see him, when he comes back?"

The look on my mom's face already prepared me for the worst, but thankfully, the words she spoke were a little gentler than her actual expression. "He's not banned from coming to the house Ness, but it might be a good idea if he _didn't_ antagonise Edward whilst he's here."

Roger that. "Sooo… about being grounded," I continued to carefully test. "If - theoretically speaking - I'm with Jake, then does that count as –"

" _No_."

Geez, shot down without even finishing.

" _Really_?"

"Really."

 _Ugh!_ Flopping backwards on the bed again, I released a very teenage and _very_ frustrated groan. How were Jake and I going to get some 'alone' time when my family had their eagle eyes constantly watching us!? This _sucked_!

Pushing herself off the bed, my mom scrunched her face as she prepared to dish out one final warning. "And… if I were you? I wouldn't ask about driving lessons any time soon either." She said.

 _Double_ suckage of the Royal decree!

I changed my mind, right there and then. Jacob had been smart to do a runner, because if this was how my next two weeks were going to pan out, walking on eggshells around my family; then I seriously wished that I'd gone back on my own 'no more running' manta.

One thing at least, was certain now. Our crazy summer road trip was over, but I wasn't about to just forget about what had happened between Jake and I, like it was just a summer fling. I'd had a small but incredibly powerful taste of what undeniably existed between us, and now, I knew that I couldn't possibly rest until I'd tasted _more_ …

In the meantime, I just need to figure out a way to achieve that without breaking my housebound rules, or worse yet: _my dad finding out_.

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 14: "?"_


	14. Chapter 14: Uninvited Guests

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Gosh! I can't believe this chapter took so long to get here, so first of all, I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting. I can partly just blame life and all the curve balls it tends to throw, but I also had to re-write and edit this chapter at least 3 times. The original version just wasn't sitting well with me, and I know now that it's because I was trying to rush to future plots too quickly. So I had to take some time out to recalibrate myself and focus more on the current journey Nessie and Jake and everyone else are going on still, before pushing even more drama on them :P_

 _I've also reached the conclusion that I do really want to 'rewrite' the story from Jake's POV, since there are so many plot-gaps that are begging to be filled in already. I guess that's the ultimate downfall of writing strictly in 1st person POV from strictly one character, but regardless of these cravings to start over in a new fic, I'm going to perservere, and stay faithful to Nessie's version of the story. Either I'll start on Jake's POV when I feel that I've reached the half-way mark, or I'll just wait until this story is over :) I will however, keep you posted either way!  
_

 _But for now, without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 14: "Uninvited Guests"**

Wednesday soon turned into Thursday, and I actually surprised myself with my newfound ability to keep my thoughts tame and under control whenever my mind slipped to Jacob. Under the circumstances though, it was much easier to lace my thoughts with worry rather than lust. Unfortunately, there was still one piece of my brain that I couldn't control; and that was the part that dictated my dreams. I tried not to feed my overactive imagination with tales of romance before bedtime, but I'm not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that my _seemingly_ dreamless sleep was interrupted in the early hours of Thursday morning. Judging from the sheets caught between my legs, I'd definitely been tossing and turning during the night. If I _had_ been dreaming - and it was doubtful that I hadn't really; I certainly didn't remember what it entailed now that I was solely excited by the sound of car wheels rolling across the dirt and gravel outside. My heart instantly leapt to my throat, and the sheets were thrown from my body in the blink of an eye as I raced to the bedroom window that overlooked the front of the house. Yet as my eyes settled on the car outside to witness a head of dirty-blonde teased-out curls appeared from the opening driver's seat door; my excitement was swiftly replaced by sheer disappointment. Uncle Jasper was home safe and sound, but there was still no sign of Jacob on the horizon.

After quizzing Jasper about Jacob's abrupt departure in Sioux Falls and why he hadn't chased after him, I finally accepted that Jasper had felt 'a lot of pent-up anger and anxiety' in him. The type of anger where he ultimately _needs_ to phase into the wolf in order to find balance and tranquillity, and despite Jasper's own innate abilities, he refused to interfere with what he described as 'an innate and perfectly natural yearning'. It would be 'like denying a vampire the right to feel things so strongly', he said. But what about _my_ innate yearning to be reunited with Jacob again? It had only been two days and yet, I felt my own inner scales severely unbalanced by the situation. Yet all I could do was divide my time between my family in an attempt to distract myself from just moping around like a bored and lovesick puppy. Ironic that _I_ should be the one to compare myself to a dog…

"Besides," Jasper had added with his trademark, lop-sided smirk. "I can sure think of better ways to pass the time than bein' cooped up with nothin' but an angry mutt and a car radio for company."

I couldn't really argue with that.

Despite my attempts to _not_ think about Jacob, which included a Stephen King thriller novel before bed on Thursday evening; I was still rudely awoken in the middle of the night. For once though, the cause of my distress wasn't due to the pleasant kind of dream that leaves me all tangled up in tight knots and panting hot sweats afterwards. On the contrary, this dream had me writhing in increasing discomfort and suspense as it fed upon my deepest fears and anxieties with an insatiable gluttony. I don't know if I actually screamed out loud beyond my subconscious thoughts, but as I shot up to sit bolt upright in my bed, I was instantly pulled into an ice cold and yet incredibly comforting embrace.

"Shh... it's okay honey." I recognised my mother's soothing voice, along with her palm, hard as marble, as it pressed against my back and rubbed in a slow and soothing rhythm. She'd done this a dozen times before, when I was younger.

"It was just a bad dream," she confirmed, like she had back then too. I hadn't had a bad dream in years though. Not since the Volturi faded away into a distant memory, and the dreamcatcher over my bed caught the last bad thought about them in its sticky web. My erratic heartbeat still pounded though, and I still squinted my eyes shut as I buried my face against my mother's shoulder. If it was 'just a dream', then why could I still see those crimson eyes behind a milky glaze, boring deep into my soul? Why could I still hear the mockery of their unanimous laughter, as tall figures cloaked in black literally squeezed the life out of their imprisoned and defenceless wolf? A wolf with stark, reddish-brown fur…

"No! It wasn't – They have him!" I suddenly exclaimed, and pushed myself away from my mother's embrace in a sudden wave of panic and heightened breaths. I needed to get on a plane. I needed to save Jacob from their evil clutches.

"Nessie –"

"No! You're not listening to me, mom! It's the _Volturi_ –" I just about managed to spit their wretched name amidst my rapid breaths. "They've got Jake. I _know_ they do – I _saw_ it!" Fighting against my mother's soothing grip, I tugged my wrist free and found my feet. In a blur of amber and white, I fretted my way into my closet, not really thinking beyond the fact that I needed to pack some essentials and leave.

"I know it feels real to you right now, but –" I heard my mom's voice again, but I was way too focused on my impulsive reactions. Reaching up, I tugged my suitcase down from the top shelf of the closet. " _Nessie_ , please, calm down."

I tried to speak, as her pale hands appeared on top of the suitcase and applied pressure. I tried to verbally fight back and tell her that I needed to jump on the next plane to Italy. Instead, as she caught my eyes with her frowning hues, I finally stilled enough for to speak again.

"I know what you saw, Ness, because I saw it too." She admitted, and my stampeding heart finally stilled. "You projected... " As she trailed off with a winced look of empathy for me, I in turn stumbled back until my back hit the mirrored wall. I… projected? _Oh no_ … Leaning my weight against it, my shaky hand lifted to comb through my tangled curls, and I released an equally shaky breath.

"You saw it too?" I echoed, needing the extra clarification and assurance, even though that would also mean further embarrassment and worry to be told that my powers where out of whack at night.

"Mm," she murmured. "We all did, I think. In fact, I think you almost gave Alice a heart attack... she almost thought it was an actual vision, until... erm... Jake appeared..." That's when I slowly sunk down into a crouched position on bent knees pulled to my chest, and pressed my forehead against my knees as I ducked my head behind the curtain of amber curls falling forwards. My mom followed suit, and by now, I was definitely awake enough to start to think more rationally.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you." I didn't look up at her rhetorical question, but I did feel her ironic smile as she settled her gaze on me. "And to think, I actually used to miss your dream projections, back when you shared happier memories from the day." Pausing to reach out and tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, she sighed softly. "But now? I hate knowing that you're all torn up, and I hate feeling like there's nothing I can say right now that will make you feel any better."

 _Holy crap_ , just how much of my dream had I projected!? How much of my _feelings_ had I shared with everyone? Squinting my eyes tightly shut again, I tried to focus on gathering the important details, starting with the absolute worst case scenario. "So did… dad see it too?"

"No…" I instantly breathed a grateful sigh to every single deity that ever existed, upon hearing that one word. "No, I think he's the only one who didn't. He's still on patrol."

Okay, so that was one string of good luck in my ball of misfortune. Stretching my legs out as I leaned back against the mirrored wall again, I took a moment to clear my mind into more coherent and logical thoughts. Unless I'd suddenly developed the power to see things in my dreams, then I could also rest assured that what I _had_ seen was really just a result of my overactive imagination. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to read that Stephen King novel before bed…

"Can he hear us right now?" I continued my trail of thought, bringing a light frown to my mom's features in return.

"No, but… if it makes you feel better, I could extend my shield to you?" Puffing my cheeks out, I lifted my gaze up to the ceiling with the simple tilt of my head back. Unfortunately, getting things off my chest wouldn't quite be so simple.

"I think I need a more permanent shield mom." As much as I wanted to tell her the exact reasons why, that would also include telling her about my feelings for Jake. Whilst I could see suspicions woven into her furrowed brow, I also knew that there was unease and ultimately, cowardice weaved within mine. I'd only just admitted my feelings to Jake, but I wasn't ready to start shouting it from the rooftops to everyone else. So, I opted for the easier excuse, though it was by no means a lie either.

"Dad'll get sick and tired of hearing all my pointless worrying," I breathed with a forced, dry laugh. "I've been trying not to think about it and… I think deep down I know he's coming back soon. I'm okay, when I'm distracted, but I guess I can't control my thoughts when I'm asleep."

"Oh sweetie," she sighed and shook her head. "It can't be easy keeping your thoughts repressed all the time. Of course you're going to have nightmares." Offering a warming smile, she slowly nodded. "I'll try to keep my shield over you from now on."

I know she only meant it until Jake came back, but it still felt like a heavy weight was just lifted from me. It would make sense in the long run, if I could just have her shield permanently, but that would mean coming clean, which isn't something I'm good at, apparently. So for now, the temporary fix would have to make do.

"Do you… want to talk to me, about anything else?"

Holding my breath, I quickly looked at my mom, who apparently wasn't finished fretting over me. She still had that suspicious knot in her brow, whilst her eyes darted back and forth in apprehension. Swallowing back against my own apprehension which manifested as an uncomfortable dry spot in my throat, I bit my lip and tucked my hair behind my ear all at once. "N-No…" I muttered.

"Okay…" she practically whispered. With a slow nod then, she dejectedly stood up, and as I looked up at her towering over my like a statue of judgment, I felt nothing but guilt overshadowing me. I used to tell my mom everything. Literally, I was addicted to pressing my hand against her cheek and sharing every moment and every second of my incredibly colourful life, day by day. I guess retreating into a shell is just part of growing up? Like a caterpillar spinning a cocoon until the day it emerges as a butterfly. Maybe when I'd grown my own effervescent wings, I'd be more comfortable sharing my thoughts once more.

"Try to get some sleep," she offered. Even though there was a mothering care in her voice, the dejection left behind a layer of disappointment. "I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

"Okay," I tried to smile, but it was met by the turn of a cold shoulder. "Thanks mom…"

…

In the early hours of Friday morning, the long anticipated arrival of Carlisle and Emmett made the family complete again; to every else but me. Behind the façade of my smile after I'd welcomed my grandfather and uncle home, I was still sulking over Jacob's prolonged absence, and the fact that I was miserably housebound. I wanted to so desperately go out and look for him, and even dreamt of meeting him halfway in Chicago or Indiana. I'd studied the road map again last night, in an attempt to avoid sleep. If Jake was running here on four legs as opposed to two, then I figured it should only take him 12 hours to get here. In other words, he should've been here by now.

"Arrested before your seventh Birthday? That's badass!" Emmett beamed and chuckled with a huge and proud grin, tearing me away from my thoughts. At least I could always count on him to lighten up any situation.

Meanwhile, once everyone was clued in on the whole 'mystery stalker' scenario, Carlisle wasted no time in contacting Eleazar. Together, they concluded that it 'might' be possible for a tracker to somehow be able to mask their scent, though the 'how' and the 'why' was anyone's guess. Carlisle threw out big words like 'imperceptibility' whereas Eleazar theorised that it could be some sort of shielding technique. Either way, we were no closer to tracking down the vampire behind the stalking than we had been before all the tedious research and speculation. Dad still insisted that we keep a solid patrol around the house though, just to be 'on the safe side'. He reasoned that despite our inability to smell my Hilton stalker, there was no evidence to suggest that we couldn't see or hear them.

July was behind us now, and so as we entered into the month of August, my family started the countdown to my so-called 'Seventh Birthday'. Even though I still had a month and a few days left, Alice was already getting excited about planning a party, and Carlisle got his measuring tape out to see if I'd grown any more over the last month. I hadn't, which I actually think oddly disappointed him a little bit.

"Well, still a few more weeks to go." He'd smiled, almost as though he was encouraging my bones to have one final growth spurt before the finality of my seventh year. I didn't really feel like I had any more growth left in me, but when I was back in my room, I couldn't resist the urge to curiously poke at my hips. Maybe my remaining growth spurt might be a little more horizontal as opposed to vertical? One can only hope.

In my agonising boredom, I started to cross out all the days that had passed me by since the road trip on my calendar pinned to the wall, and considered the days left in my housebound sentence, probably akin to a criminal in a cell. I didn't want to think about what I'd do if Jake wasn't home before my Birthday, but I _did_ know that it would be a really cruel and terrible idea for a present if he made me wait that long just to see him again. From Saturday onwards, I would have exactly two weeks and one day left before high school started. If Jake wanted to make a good impression, then I imagined he'd be home by then. That thought gave me some hope, at least. To my absolute horror though, I realised that I'd probably have cramps on my first day of High School. That definitely put a downer on the whole momentous occasion.

Despite my dad's protestations downstairs as I heard him arguing with Alice, she finally managed to convince him to let me go with her into the Mill Creek town. We needed to pick up some groceries, which was apparently a very 'normal, teenage thing' for me to help her with. Mom eventually out-voted dad, and I was just glad for the opportunity to _finally_ be out of the house and its' immediate vicinity. I don't mind helping Esme with the gardening, but there's only so much my not-so-green fingers and thumbs can take.

It was only a twenty minute drive into the town, and the 'Mill Creek IGA' was the first business we came across. It was also the first and potentially _only_ conveniently placed grocery store the town had to offer.

"Well this is quaint," Alice commented as she cut the engine. Rather than her flashy Porsche, she'd opted for the Volvo XC60, which had pretty much been the family car for years now - since before I was born, according to Jake. Looking around at the beat up and practical cars parked outside the IGA, I figured that the Porsche wouldn't be leaving the garage any time soon.

It was yet another overcast and cloudy day, but Alice wasn't taking any chances in her covered-up ensemble. She was definitely ready for fall though in her russet and orange colour scheme. Much to her chagrin, out of all the new clothes in my closet, I'd just thrown on a denim skirt and a plain white t-shirt paired with my favourite blue converse sneakers. I hadn't done it on purpose to annoy Alice or anything. I just didn't see the point in getting all dressed up just to go grocery shopping. The sunglasses perched on my head were designer at least, but I hardly needed to actually wear them.

After getting a shopping cart, we were soon weaving our way along various food aisles, and getting our first glance of the locals. Being a Saturday, the store was fairly busy, and there was more than a fair share of screaming kids running around and grumpy parents trying to reign them in. A few people glanced our way, though mostly just out of curiosity and wayward glances. With an overall population of 724 – no, make that _733_ now – it wasn't possible for _everyone_ to know each other, but there was no doubt that there were still a group of locals who took pride in being busybody neighbours. As we stopped at the butcher's section though, I realised that curious neighbours were the least of our problems.

"Is Tygart Valley High far from here?" Alice asked the enthusiastic youth who was busy selecting the cuts she'd asked for. His slightly pimpled complexion reddened a little as he realised she was talking to him, and he gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh… n-nah it's like… a ten minute drive?"

"Good to know," she smiled. I should've seen it coming, as her eyes gestured to me, but it's not like I had a clear escape route right now. "My lil' sister here is starting her senior year there in a few weeks, so we're just taking a look around."

I would've given anything to shrink into the ground right now, as despite my downcast eyes, I could feel the butcher boy turning to stare at me. "Oh really?" His voice nearly broke, so he had to clear his throat before continuing a little more confidently. "C-Cool! I'm actually gonna be starting my senior year too."

" _Really_?" Alice practically beamed. "How wonderful!"

"Yeah," the dude was still staring at me. "I'm Shawn." Internally rolling my eyes at my Aunt's terrible meddling; I finally looked up and forced myself to smile at him.

"Nessie," I simply said. The way he blinked his blue eyes at me, told me that he thought my name was odd, and that was without me even revealing my _full_ name too him.

"Cool! So uh, maybe I'll see you around then, yeah?"

"Maybe," I verbally shrugged. With a nervous glance at Alice, he gave another nervous little chuckle to himself, and then focused on finishing wrapping up the meat selection for us.

"Thank you Shawn," Alice made sure to politely say once he was done preparing the meat. I was already embarrassed beyond reason, which is why my manners were quite the opposite as I just turned without saying goodbye. When we were out of earshot and sight, she beat me to it before I could nudge her. Instead, I felt her elbow nudging _my_ ribs as she exclaimed enthusiastically. "He seemed nice!"

"I can't believe you just did that," I countered dryly in return. Whilst I could believe that Alice of all people was capable of doing that, I was still getting over the fact that she actually had.

"Why ever not? It'll be good to know at least one person in your class."

"I already _will_ know one person! It's not like Jake won't be there."

The cart abruptly stopped, and it suddenly dawned on me that this was actually groundbreaking news for Alice. " _What_?" She part-shrieked and part-snapped. Now it was my turn to catch a contagious dose of that Shawn guy's nervous laughter.

"Oh look, free samples!" My attempt to divert the subject was futile though, as Alice just lifted a brow over her narrowing eyes.

"Did you just imply that _Jake_ will be there? At High School? As in _Jacob_ Jacob – Jacob _Black_?"

I scoffed, since the wolf was out the bag now. "Who else do we know called Jacob?"

"Hmm!" The shopping cart started to wheel forwards again, as Alice rapidly resumed her wayward steps down the aisle. "Well this is a new development, but I can't say I'm not in the least surprised either."

She could've fooled me… because I'm pretty sure that she'd been very surprised just a second ago by this revelation.

"When was this decided?" She sharply turned to me with a glare that demanded an answer.

"Um… a few days ago?" I genuinely had to actually think of the exact day. "Like… Monday evening?"

Alice huffed another slightly frustrated breath. "Well! He better hurry up and get over here then, so Carlisle can get him registered and fully enrolled. It won't look good on his record never mind the rest of us if he doesn't start school on time, if that's what he still wants."

For once I was in total and absolute agreement with Alice. "If he's not back by then, I'm sending out my own search party consisting of me, myself and I." Despite the 'oh no you won't' look she shot me in return, I silently dared her to just try and stop me.

It only took us about an hour to fill the cart, pay, and load the car up with brown paper bags full of enough groceries to last me for about two weeks, unless Jake came back any time soon. Once the car boot was loaded, Alice drove us around the town a little, so we could familiarise ourselves with the general layout. There wasn't really much to remember, but it was nice to finally get my first look of the high school exterior. Apparently the school was big on sports, which explained the large playing field outside, and the red bull-dog mascot. I wasn't sure yet if I was going to even bother trying to compete in any sports, since it would mean dumbing down my natural abilities just to fit in. It would be hard on my hubris to try _not_ to win everything.

"Next weekend we should check out Elkins," Alice enthusiastically planned ahead as we drove back to the house. I acknowledged the fact that it was 'only a twenty-five minute drive away' and that she was getting all excited about the various boutiques 'yet to be explored' there, but my mind was otherwise distracted as I stared out the car window. I really couldn't care less about all the attractions Elkins had to offer, if it meant going another week without Jacob.

 _Geez_ , I really do feel like such a love-sick puppy right now.

Once all the groceries were put away, Alice took over Esme's patrol, and likewise Esme took over 'babysitting' me. She had me helping her nurse her new plants in the conservatory for the rest of the afternoon, and then I semi-watched and semi-helped her prepare a traditional Italian Carbonara for my dinner. Being in the kitchen with Esme always makes me feel like a much better cook then I actually am, but I knew that if I tried to make this dish by myself, it would only be half so good.

There was a telescope up on the second floor balcony, so my evening of harmless stargazing eventually turned into an Astronomy lesson with Carlisle. Eventually, I was curling up in bed with a book on Astro-Physics, and drifting off to dream of the stars and distant planets.

And that was Friday over and done with as yet another altogether uneventful cross on my calendar.

 _Fifteen days left._

My sleep was disturbed that night by what had undeniably been wolf howls coming from the forest, and after rushing to my window, expecting to see a red wolf outside, I'd raced upstairs to the balcony to get a clearer view of the surrounding forest. The moon was just a silver sickle in the blackened sky, but sudden movement in the trees nearby had turned out to be none other than Emmett, racing by on his patrol. I must have fallen asleep outside, because I don't remember walking back to my room, which is where I eventually woke up at sunrise.

After a fairly miserable breakfast on my part, and not just because I'd actually managed to burn my scrambled eggs; the sound of piano playing soon drew me into the 'music room' area. It was a little room off to the side of the main living area, but rather than a door, it just had an open archway and then a raised step onto a slightly lifted platform. All the windows were long and narrow arches, enabling the room to be bathed in brilliant morning light from the 'East Wing' of the house. My dad's amber hair burned like flames against his sparkling, alabaster skin, but he was perfectly at peace at his baby-grand piano which took centre stage. Without a word, I just moved to sit down behind my cello, and let it rest between my thighs. I craved thicker strings against my fingertips, as opposed to my more delicate harp; which definitely wasn't an instrument to work out a little frustration on. My dad was just tinkling away at the piano keys, not really playing anything in particular, but I soon changed that. I'd mastered my favourite piece of music by Franz Liszt about a year ago, and so now, I gradually broke into 'Liebestraum' – other known as 'Love Dream'. So focused on playing the notes was I, that I barely even noticed my mom come to sit with my dad at the piano, just watching us both play and listening. Music never fails to feed my soul, and when combined with the peace and tranquillity of 'family time', I feel whole again.

Well, _almost_ whole again _._

Being in the sunlit music room also begun to heal the strange rift I'd felt of late between my father and I, which I guess was born from the fact that he didn't care to talk about Jacob or show any sign of worry or concern for him. Just like he'd shown no remorse or sympathy to the fact that I had to stay under the close watch of my family at his behest. I felt like a caged song bird, happy to sing for an hour or two, but eventually, the novelty wore off as I realised I was still trapped behind gilded bars. Not even the timeless song my dad had composed for my mom managed to tempt me into staying in the music room for much longer.

The bow stilled against the cello strings, as my father moved on to Saint-Saëns - _The Swan_. It was the type of duet that needed me to lead the main melody, and though I forced myself to slowly recite the notes, my heart was no longer in the music. I didn't need to lift my head to feel my parents sharing an uneasy look, but I didn't expect my father to just stop playing altogether. His fingers stumbled on the piano keys with the incredible rarity of ill-played notes, and my breath caught in my throat as I finally lifted my gaze to him. My first thought was that I was to blame for the fact that he was staring ahead with eyes wide under his heavy brow, but one look to my mother's frown, and I reassured myself that she'd been shielding me, as promised. Besides, I hadn't even been thinking of Jacob right now.

It struck me then that my father was staring out the window directly behind me, so as silence filled the room, I turned on my stool slightly to follow the direction of his glare. That's when the shadows of four figures gradually emerged from behind the trees. First, a scowling Rosalie, whose nose was all scrunched up like she'd been forced to breathe a foul odour. My heard skipped a beat or two, as I soon realised why she was so perturbed. Chocolate merged with burnt umber, and the clatter of my cello bow hitting the wooden floor after it absently dropped from my fingertips, was like the bang of a starter pistol. I heard the stool fall over behind me as I bolted, but paid no heed to anyone or anything else as I raced to the front door. I passed the blur of Esme and Alice rushing out from the kitchen, and caught the sound of more footsteps on the stairs just in time for my hand to reach out to the front door and pull it towards me. Rather than continue my one-track path though, I was instead compelled to freeze a few steps from the doorway outside, as redwood and pine and wet-dog musk that was almost tangible, completely and utterly overwhelmed me. The scent was far too overpowering to belong to just one Quileute shapeshifter, which my eyes soon discovered as they caught up with my nose.

"I caught some uninvited guests wandering around the forest," Rosalie declared as she moved towards the house. "Although I don't recall ever tossing _them_ a bone to go fetch."

Almost in a daze of disbelief, I stepped past my grumpy aunt as my eyes flicked to the two other figures now moving to stand behind Jacob. A matching pair of dark brown eyes settling on me; the smiling pair moving towards me instantly, whilst the frowning pair stayed behind Jake.

"'Sup Ness!"

" _Seth_!?" I practically squeaked, still feeling like this was all just an amazing dream, as he pulled me into a tight hug. No, this felt too real to be a dream. We both laughed, although mine was far more incredulous than his perfectly merry sounds.

"Surprise!" He beamed, still laughing as he stepped back finally. That's when Jake finally crossed the gap, followed by a silently obedient and still lightly frowning Leah bringing up the rear. Even though I already had a dozen questions buzzing around in my head, I think I was still in an absolute state of shock, because all I could muster were failed grasps for words and stuttered sounds that I know I'd inherited from my mom.

"We got you good, huh!" Seth loudly beamed, practically puffing his chest out as he rested both hands on his hips. "But it's too bad Barbie caught us before we could _really_ sneak up on ya."

Completely ignoring Seth's smug declarations, Jacob just stepped past so he could finally sweep me up into a secure embrace against his chest. Pressing my nose against the coarse cotton fabric of his… _lumberjack shirt_!? – I breathed him in. Even though the fibres of the shirt still carried a faint, recently washed and air-dried fragrance, his own musky perspiration and hint of spice had also laid full claim on the no doubt 'borrowed' cotton.

"Sorry I took so long," he quietly uttered as he squeezed me a little tighter. I knew my entire family were now gathered outside the house too, and I hoped that my mom was still shielding me, because it was taking every fibre of my being to resist the urge to claim his mouth with my own as a gesture of total forgiveness. Instead, my hands clutched at his shirt, gripping a handful of the chequered material covering his muscular back. I didn't really care why he'd taken so long to come home. All that mattered now was that he was finally here.

"We would've totally surprised Jake too, if it wasn't for tattle-tale Embry."

"Seth would you shut up already?" Leah finally broke her stoic silence, and as I finally loosened my grip, I couldn't help but chuckle. It was like I'd just been sent a slice of Forks in the mail, and if I could help it, I wouldn't be sending it back any time soon.

"Good thing you went grocery shopping today," I heard Emmett both verbally and physically nudge at Alice. "Hey Alice, it's almost like you _saw_ it happening! Oh, wait…" Unlike Leah though, she didn't bother to waste words on shutting him up, as fist met chest.

Smirking as I stepped back from Jake, I lifted my smiling eyes to his and bit my lip. "I guess things got a little… complicated." I wasn't just talking about the arrival of Seth and Leah though, and the slight narrowing of his eyes suggested to me that he'd caught on to my _other_ meaning. The hotel room, the kiss, the cops… we desperately needed space to talk things out, but judging by the way my family were still hovering, it would be a long time until we got that opportunity.

"Just another day in the life of the Cullens and Black pack," he half-smirked in return. As his eyes left mine though, I turned with him to follow his gaze directly to Carlisle and my parents, who stood in the middle of my gathered family. Folding my arms to curb my instinct to grasp hold of Jake's hand, I followed slightly behind him as he moved to greet them.

"Welcome home, Jacob." Carlisle, ever the peaceful diplomat, managed the warmest smile out of the bunch. In second place, was Esme, whose mothering eyes shifted to Leah and Seth.

"You're all of course welcome here, for however long you intend to stay." I didn't think Carlisle's smile could get any warmer, but as he looked to Esme and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, I could see that he shared her hospitality with pride. "It's always a pleasure to have you with us," she added without fail of being completely genuine.

"Thanks." Jake was all politeness, despite the death glares he received from Rosalie and Edward. "Although I'm still debating whether or not to just send Seth and Leah back home on the next flight."

"No way man!" Seth immediately lunged forwards, and even Leah took a step closer. "There's no way I'm going back to Forks!"

"Me neither," his sister chipped in. "We'll sleep out rough in the forest if we have to."

"That won't be necessary," Carlisle quickly put an end to that idea. "Jacob's house should be big enough for the three of you, until you reach a more permanent and amicable solution."

"Or we could build three kennels," Rosalie dryly remarked. One sharp glance from Esme silenced her, but it didn't stop the little snort from Emmett. Even my dad's serious expression was momentarily broken by a little smirk.

"It's not a bad idea," he muttered, mostly to himself. In an area filled with supernatural beings though, it wasn't possible to even whisper without being heard right now. Besides, his next comment was clearly intended for everyone's ears, but particularly one set. "At least for one of the dogs."

"Edward," my mom's voice warned, but it was too late. Bright amber eyes were already battling against burnt umber.

"Not cool," Seth managed to mutter, as Jake took a step forwards.

"Look, I know that you're still pissed with me," he stated the obvious as his eyes locked on my dad. "But you can't stay angry at me forever."

"I beg to differ," my dad shot back. Out of everyone, Emmett was grinning like a mad-man as he eagerly watched the drama unfold, whilst the Clearwater siblings moved to stand on either side behind Jake.

Meanwhile, my mom moved to put her calming hand on my dad's expanding chest. " _Don't_ ," she said.

"I did what I had to do," Jake continued. Part of me figured that he'd probably rehearsed what he was going to say a dozen times already on the way here, knowing full well that he'd face the Vampire inquisition led by Grand Inquisition Edward, the moment he stepped foot outside our new house. "You can't blame me for that."

"You did what you had to do," my dad dangerously echoed in his quiet and pensive voice laced with a patronising edge. "Tell me, what part of not drawing attention to yourself requires the need to almost crash the car, Jacob?" My mother's hand dropped as my father now took a challenging step forwards. "Do I need to remind you what would happen if we broke our number one law? What would happen to us – _especially_ to Renesmee, if a single human finds out about us?"

"You don't _need_ to tell me anything." Jake somehow managed not to snarl, but there was definitely the rumble of a growl in his chest. The sounds screamed 'back off' but like always, my dad pushed a little further as he took one more step closer. "Would you rather I let the cops chase us all the way here and expose _everyone_?"

"I'd rather you used whatever common sense you have, to not be caught in that predicament in the first place."

"Yeah, sure, because Mr. Perfect Cullen over here never fucked up for once in his entire life either."

Seeing that this was escalating to the point of getting way out of control, I quickly moved to stand in the gap between the squabbling men and yelled with my hands outstretched to both of them. "Stop it! Stop fighting already!"

Taking my cue, my mom moved to my dad's side, whereas Jake just swallowed back hard enough to bob his Adam's apple up and down.

"Listen to your daughter Edward," Carlisle cut in softly. "We can all agree that Jacob's actions were foolish, but not unjustified. Besides, squabbling amongst ourselves isn't helpful to anyone right now."

It was like watching a tennis game, as I turned my head left and right to gauge the reactions of my dad and Jacob in turn. Neither took a retreating step back, but whereas Jacob at least bit down on his tongue, my dad just curled his lip.

"I don't want him near the house," he sharply announced. Even though he spoke mostly to Carlisle, he kept his glare pinned on Jake. "Do us all a favour and stay away for a while."

I hadn't seen my dad this angry or petty in a long time, and the worst thing was, it was the quietly seething and therefore unpredictable rage that I could feel emanating from him. I could only hope that Jasper was keeping things relatively calmer than they perhaps could have been, and likewise, I hoped that the shield of my own body would be deterrent enough to stop the argument from escalating any further.

"What are you gonna do to stop me, huh Edward? What, you gonna break my arm again?" I could've punched Jake for taunting, if I wasn't suddenly wondering if and when my dad had actually broken his arm.

" _What_!?" I stared back and forth between them, and saw my dad's nostrils flare at what had effectively been a pretty low blow. "You broke his arm?" I asked the question directly with demanding eyes aimed directly at my father. _When_!? My thoughts demanded, even though he probably couldn't read me right now. The twitch of his eyebrows showed his frustration on that front, but he kept his eyes pinned on Jake as he answered bluntly.

"A long time ago, but I'm not adverse to a repeat performance, if that's what he really wants."

" _Jake_ ," my mom's warning voice rose up as she too, moved to stand in front of my dad like a physical barricade. "That's enough, both of you." With a glance towards me, she pursed her lips tight a moment, before concluding the situation with a stern suggestion. "I think you should go."

"I hear ya," Jake uttered. "Loud and clear, Bella."

I'm not sure what cut me up more; the fact that my dad was being such a grade A jerk right now, or the fact that Jake didn't even glance my way, as he turned his back to retreat from the situation. Seth did though, with a sympathetic wince and an apology on his brow, like he was trying to shoulder the blame for all of this. It wasn't his fault though, which is why I offered a strained smile in return. Obediently, both he and Leah followed Jake without a word. Leah's silent look of utter disgust t my parents though, said more than words ever could. For once, I actually felt like I could agree with her. My dad's behaviour was inexcusable, and as much as I loved my family, I didn't want to be within ten feet of my father right now. I wanted to be part of Black Pack, as they skulked away to the dense spread of trees.

"Renesmee...?" My mother started to call me over to join the rest of the family, but as I flicked my head in her direction, it was my father whom my glare settled on.

"What the _hell_ is your problem!?" I snapped, not caring that the entire family were here to witness this. "Why do you have to be like this? Why do you hate Jacob so much!? All he ever does is try to _protect_ me and all _you_ ever do is try to push him away!"

"Nessie," Esme tried to calm me this time, but as she took a step forwards, I in turn took a step back.

"I'm done!" I snapped. "I'm _so_ done!"

All I was thinking, as I turned on my heel and walked away in quick strides, was that I couldn't stand to be in that house with _any_ of them for another second. Least of all, my father, who'd seriously crossed the line this time. He had every right to scold me, after all, I'm his daughter, which I guess just gives him a paternal right to boss me around. But as for Jacob, what right did my dad have to tell him what to do!? Last time I checked, this was _Carlisle's_ house, and Carlisle had welcomed both Jacob _and_ the Clearwaters into his home. Where did my dad get off telling Jake he couldn't come to the house anymore!?

"Renesmee!" I heard my mom call after me, and her footsteps rapidly started following after mine. I quickened my pace though, practically powerwalking in a completely human way. I should have just dashed but I guess part of me, the part that still loved my family, wasn't quite ready to turn my back on them completely.

"Stop following me mom!" I snapped back, not bothering to look over my shoulder. "Don't make me hate you for stopping me right now!"

She stopped dead in her tracks then, and I could practically feel the tension rippling behind me as eight sets of eyes settled on my back. Brushing aside weeping branches from my path with the aggressive sweep of my arm, I already regretted my words to her, but it was a tiny thought in the back of my mind. Whilst I didn't hate anyone, except maybe the Romanians and the Volturi for their petty grudges; I did know that right now, that I resented my father too much to turn back. It was that resentment that overwhelmed me, and pushed me over the edge enough to keep walking.

If Jake wasn't allowed to come to the house anymore, then so be it, two can play that game. If Jake wasn't welcome, then my father wasn't welcome in my life either. It was all, or nothing, and if this was the only way to force my dad to realise that Jake was as much a part of my life as he was, then so be it...

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 15: "?"_


	15. Chapter 15: There is no Switzerland

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this fanfic! I'm also extremely sorry once again that this chapter took so long to finish/publish. New job and ongoing studies are mostly to blame, but we've also been having a ridiculous June heatwave over the pond here in olde England, which has put me off wanting to do anything but sunbathe and drink cocktails and prosecco in the garden, haha! Now that I'm getting re-settled again into a routine though, hopefully this will be the last time it takes me shamefully longer than a week to update. To make up for it though, I'll be posting chapter 16 by Sunday/Monday night at the latest._

 _So without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 15: "There is no Switzerland"**

It was easy to follow Jake when his scent fermented the area in a potent trail, but regardless of my ability to track him, he wasn't making it easy for me to _actually_ catch up to him. Black Pack already had a solid head start on me, so it didn't matter that I'd broken into more of a supernatural sprint as I weaved my way through the overgrown forest at breakneck speed, because the sound of their three sets of feet stomping against the earth ahead of me confirmed that they continued to maintain some ample distance between us.

"Jake!" I resorted to calling out to him, literally begging him to stop and wait for me with the power of my voice alone. Stopping completely, I inhaled a deeper breath into my lungs this time, and loudly expelled. "JACOB!"

On cue, my super-hearing detected the sound of footsteps up ahead finally pausing in their tracks.

"You're not seriously thinking of going back, are you?" Leah's slightly muffled voice asked after releasing a disgruntled groan.

"Just keep going," I heard Jake distinctively retorted. "I'll catch up soon."

Then, the parting of footsteps commenced, as two sets continued to walk away, whereas one pair started to get closer. Moving towards the approaching sound, I only stopped again when I saw Jake skidding down the raised portion in the dirt up ahead. Rather than keep walking towards me though, he stopped there, and levelled his eyes on mine. Even with the distance between us, I could still feel the same frustration and anger that was writ upon his heavy brow, radiating towards me. It made my skin tingle down my arms like electricity surged between us, but strangely _not_ in a good way.

"Go home Ness," he suddenly barked. It was the same 'alpha voice' tone I'd heard him use a few times with the other Quileute wolves. Apprehension swelled tightly in my belly, as I glared back in total disbelief. Had I _really_ just heard him correctly? Was he _seriously_ getting all alpha on me right now?

"Wh- _What_?" I practically squeaked, but soon re-found my voice again as I raised it up a notch with the stubborn jut of my chin. "A-Are you kidding me?"

Thankfully he didn't dare to retreat as I stormed two steps towards him, still unsure if I'd actually heard him right. There was no way my brain would make up something like that though.

"No," he stood his ground, literally. "I'm deadly serious, Ness. _Don't_ follow me right now."

And then, _then_ – he had the audacity to actually turn his back on me! My chest swelled as I held my breath, torn between wanting to launch at him and hit my palms against his chest over and over, or just continue to follow him until me _made_ me go back. For now, I opted for the less aggressive of the two options. With a determined breath, I pushed on after his shadow, but after only a handful of steps, he abruptly stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. The dark and brooding and perfectly serious glare was probably hot enough to melt an entire glacier, and though it succeeded in stopping me in my tracks, it didn't melt my overall resolve.

"Why are you acting like this?" I shot, mostly rhetorically, because it still made no sense to me that he was so cruelly rejecting me right now. This wasn't how our reunion had played out in my head when I'd fantasised over and over about how he'd sweep me up and spin me round. "I just walked away from my family Jake, don't you get it? I'm on _your_ side. My dad, he… he was way out of order just now and –"

"He's not 'way' out of order," he sharply corrected me. That definitely shut me up enough for him to continue uninterrupted. "As much as I hate to admit it –" His nostrils flared, proving that he meant every word. "– Not _everything_ Edward says is completely without reason. For instance, he was right about me putting you in danger." Shaking his head, he quickly raked a hand through his messy hair. "Doesn't mean I still don't wanna rip his head off right now…"

Biting the side of my lip, I closed the remaining gap between us with three simple steps.

"Go home Ness," Jake urged once more. "I mean it. I don't _want_ you getting caught up in all this."

"And I don't want _you_ to push me away!" He stilled at my retort, as my voice smacked against his broad back. "Besides, I'm already involved, so just… _don't_."

Taking advantage of the fact that he was now perfectly still, I bravely weaved my hand across his taut stomach as I leaned in to rest my head and torso against his back. Even now, despite that moment we'd shared out in South Dakota, I like we'd become further apart. His body even tensed to my touch. I just hoped that was a good thing, as opposed to sudden repulsion and above all, regret.

"Not after I just shouted at my dad for doing the exact same thing to you." I continued, a little gentler but nonetheless still firm. "Don't you _dare_ try to paint yourself the bad guy in all this, Jacob."

His body finally reacted in a more positive way, as he gradually turned from the waist at first, until I was forced to lean back slightly to accommodate the way that he now faced me full on. One hand gliding against the skin of my forearm, leaving a burning trail in his wake, whilst the other hand was placed against my waist. Despite the more intimate tilt of his head to almost press his nose against my forehead, his words however, didn't quite echo his actions.

"Ness, I'm not always the good guy either."

Expelling an exasperated breath, I reached up to cup the side of his face, and stroke my thumb against his cheek. "You are to me," I firmly corrected with eyes piercing deeply into his. _"Even when you do act like a hot-headed jerk_ ," I added, projecting my voice directly into his mind.

His tempting lips curved into an ironic smile then, and I could no longer contain my need to reclaim them with my own. It was my turn to steal a breath from him, as I suddenly rose up on my tiptoes and boldly slotted my mouth against his. In that moment, I simply relished in the perfect stillness of our connection, before I applied more pressure along with the sweep of my other hand to comb through the shorter hairs at his nape. Perhaps this should have been more like our first kiss, as opposed to the way that we'd found ourselves more urgently and fervently pulled to each other on the car bonnet like two magnets. This time though, despite the heated little argument that had almost wedged it's way between us, we found a mutual tenderness that almost felt like an oxymoron in itself. There was definitely passion swelling between us and yet, it was patient.

Without fully meaning to, I pushed all my anxieties and concerns to the surface, letting him feel how worried I'd been over the past few days. Not only that, but the sheer boredom I'd felt in his absence, followed by the guilt of never being content enough with the company of my family. My _incomplete_ family, because without Jake, we weren't whole. _I_ wasn't whole. Perhaps it was my mind's way of accepting the utter contentment that swept over me now, by discarding all the misery I'd endured.

"I'm sorry Ness…" He murmured softly between kisses, and his hand suddenly moved to my back, so his arm could circle around and pull me closer to him from the waist. Electricity sparked again, but this time it was a more pleasant sensation that rippled down my spine to the base of my pelvis. "I really –" He moved to plant a kiss to the side of my mouth, "didn't mean –" and then trailed down to my chin. "To make you wait –" Until finally dipping to just beneath my chin, forcing me to tilt my head back slightly. "So long."

" _You're here now."_ I focused on just communicating with projections now, rather than use my actual voice. _"And that's all that matters."_ I don't think my voice-box was even capable of functioning right now, as I shuddered to the sensation of him working his way back up to my mouth in a sweeping arc. With one, drawn out kiss, he somehow found the strength to stop there, with that one final kiss against my full lips. How he stopped, I don't know, because I know for sure that I could've carried on being pleasantly swept away to another world by the power of his mouth alone for as long as he'd have me. Instead, my eyes fluttered open, and I drank in the vision of his face still leaning closely to mine. The tip of his nose gently nuzzled against my own button nose, before he finally leaned back against the resistance of my hand still resting at the back of his neck. My clawing fingers finally loosened on his raven black locks, whilst my other hand dropped from his cheek to rest on his shoulder.

"You're gonna have to go back to your family eventually though," he carefully stated once he got his breath back. I however, lost my breath all over again. I can't believe he picked now, of _all_ times, to bring me down from my blissful high with such a statement!

"They're all gonna be worrying right now," he added. Way to add the salt to the fresh wound, Jake! _Thanks a lot…_

Flicking my tongue against my lips as I roughly crashed back down to Earth from cloud 9, I like to think it was mostly thanks to the taste of him now lingering on my tongue, that I was able to keep my cool.

"I know," I quietly sighed. "And I will, _eventually_." As I dropped down from my tip toes, he leaned back to our difference in height, whilst I ducked my eyes to his chest. "But if I go back right this second, whilst everything's still so fresh, I'd only say something stupid and regretful. I need the space right now, and I think dad needs to calm down too before he hurts himself."

"Or someone else," Jake dryly added with a scoff. As he reached down to take my hand and start leading me away from the house further still, I realised I couldn't shirk away from asking him the same questions I'd rapid fired at my dad just moments ago.

"Jake? Why does he hate you so much?"

"He doesn't hate me _that_ much," Jake ironically laughed. I wasn't quite ready to start looking for the joke in all this though. The two most important men in my life were at odds with one another, so to me, the whole situation was a very serious issue.

"Well it sure seems that way to me, sometimes." I reiterated.

Sweeping a branch aside with his spare hand, I could almost hear the cogs turning in Jake's head as he struggled to answer straight away. "I guess he's just being the typical, overly protective father," he finally concluded. "You'll always be his little girl, the same way Seth's still a kid to Sue."

I wrinkled my nose at him, and the way that he really hadn't answered my question as much as I wanted him too. I was hardly the 'daddy's little girl' type, at least, I didn't think so?

"Your dad doesn't treat _you_ like a kid," I countered, to which, he lightly chuckled.

"No, but he still likes to remind me of all the boyish mistakes I've made."

"That still doesn't explain why my dad is so quick to point fingers at you and… outright boss you around like he _owns_ you or something."

Even though Jake scoffed, he didn't exactly defend himself either. "Well he does have like, a hundred years over me, or whatever."

"But you're an _Alpha_! And before you blame it on the whole 'natural enemies' thing, _don't_. I mean, it's not like you're an enemy or a stranger to the family – you've been with us ever since I can remember!"

Furrowing my brow, our conversation paused a moment, as we focused on stepping over the large roots of an ancient tree, and manoeuvring carefully around the thick trunk covered in greyish brown bark. My hand reaching out to feel the rough texture in contrast against my smoother skin, but altogether the temporary obstacle in my path failed to distract me permanently from the conversation. Thankfully, I didn't have to poke Jake into answering me, because once we were clear of the huge tree, he spoke up.

"I guess Edward and I will just always have a history between us. Maybe it's some kinda vamp thing, clinging onto the past like that. Like he doesn't have anything better to do..."

And that suddenly reminded me… "Jake, did my dad _really_ break your arm?"

I heard him inhale a deep, nasal breath, like he was already regretting revealing that little nugget of history. "…Yeah."

"When?!"

"It doesn't matter," he quickly countered. "It happened ages ago, years even, and… he had his reasons."

"But _why_? What reasons?"

"Reasons I can't talk about."

"You can't, or you _won't_?"

"Ness, please, just drop it, okay? I told you already, I'm not always the good guy. I shouldn't have even brought it up. It was a stupid, heat of the moment slip-up. Just, forget you heard it."

How could I just forget about it, when I still refused to believe that Jake had actually provoked my dad to attack him without reasons of his own, which is why I resorted to using the emotional blackmail card. "You said I could ask you anything, Jake, and that you'd never lie to me." His eyes narrowed, but if anything, that only urged me to push harder. "So answer the question."

"I _did_ ," he spat back.

Pursing my lips tight and folding my arms, I stared him down, literally refusing to budge until he gave me a better answer than that.

"Fuck' sake," he cursed under his breath, and then heaved a more exasperated sigh than ever before as he stopped completely in his tracks. Turning to face me then, he strode over and gripped the top of my arms like he was going to shake me, but he must've decided against it at the last moment Instead, I felt the firm grip of his thumbs digging in against my flesh.

"Listen, it's not that that I don't _wan_ t to… believe me, it would be so much easier if I could just tell you, but –"

"So _tell_ me!"

"I _can't_!" He reiterated firmly, and then paused to calm his escalated voice back down with a sharp inhale. His grip on my arms loosened slightly, and then he just dropped his arms altogether. "I made a bullshit promise, okay?"

"To who?" I shot back eagerly, feeling like I was _finally_ getting somewhere with this! From the winced look on his face though, it didn't take me long to hazard a rhetorical guess. "Lemmie guess, it was my mom, wasn't it." It really would be so nice if we could go one conversation without her name coming up…

"I promised Bella _and_ Edward," he corrected. "It's the _one_ thing I still owe to them, so believe me when I say that I can't break that promise. Not now, and not ever." Before I could think of a loophole or another way to push his buttons, he turned away from me, and begun to step forwards. "Seth and Leah are waiting up ahead."

"Don't change the subject!"

"I just did."

It was final, and his gravelled voice was dangerously low. For a moment, all I could do was stand perfectly still, and watch him ignorantly take the lead. I guess I was still in shock that we'd just come full circle; from arguing to making up, and then arguing all over again. Was this how it was going to be between us? Constantly at each other's throats? _Like natural born enemies_ , my bitter conscience concluded. His shoulders looked heavy, but his stubborn stride was unaffected by what was no doubt a weight trying to press down on him. I wanted to throw something at him – _anything_ to make him stop and turn around again, so we could continue the dead conversation. I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but part of me wanted to turn around too, and walk in the total opposite direction. Not back to my family – I still wasn't ready to face my dad, but I was also less inclined to follow Jacob right now too.

I guess this is how it feels to be Switzerland.

Running a surprisingly shaky hand through my hair as I caught my breath, even knowing which direction to start pacing in right now, felt like a major decision. My gut instinct said it wasn't a good idea to keep following Jake _or_ go home, so I resigned myself to just settling down against a sturdy oak tree. The roots seemed thick enough to bear my heavy burdens, whilst the thick bark of the trunk supported my spine as I leaned back.

Why were we even in this mess? What ever happened to starting a new life re-using the same, strong foundations we'd built in Forks? I know getting older is meant to be complicated, but _geez_ , this was something else entirely. With an increasing frown, I tried to think of all the times my dad and Jake had fought against each other in the past. Mostly it was Jake's smart mouth getting him into trouble, or my dad just being his usual, over-protective self. Still, it was rare for the two of them to ever engage in a full-blown argument like this. In fact, until a few months ago, I couldn't recall them ever arguing at all. Not to this scale anyway. Everything pointed back to the fact that I was constantly growing and changing at an alarming rate, and everyone else was being forced to just accept and adapt to my developing maturity.

Pulling my knees up to my chest so I could hug my thighs against my ribs, I dipped my chin to rest on my knees, at the uncomfortable thought. In short, at the root of it all, I was clearly to blame for all of this. Fortunately though, before I could even begin to start to wallow in my own self-deprecating misery, the more logical portion of my brain sought other conclusions, aka – it wasn't just _my_ fault. My dad was too blame too, for being so stubborn in his refusal to accept and adapt to the plain and simple fact that I couldn't be his little girl forever. It was clear to me that he hated just the idea alone, of me getting close to Jacob in _any_ way that wasn't like a little sister to a big brother. He'd already proved as much when he dragged me off to Norway as soon as he caught wind of my embarrassing but nonetheless _private_ thoughts. I guess the complications of my relationship to Jacob made sense if you thought about it too long and hard but, I couldn't just turn my feelings off like a light switch. The transition wasn't easy for me either, especially if I actually stopped to think about it too; and it still scared me if I lingered too long on how suddenly and yet… altogether _naturally_ the change had actually occurred. Maybe I should ask my dad how he would have felt if Carlisle had said he wasn't allowed to love my mother, simply because she'd been human. Not to mention like… a hundred _years_ younger than him! Seventeen versus over a hundred? Yeah, that definitely put things into perspective…

Then again, _maybe_ it would be easier if I did just _try_ to turn off my feelings after all? Maybe all this family drama is a sign that Jake and I just aren't meant to be, at least, not right 'now'. Maybe I'd 'peaked' too soon and I needed to slow back down. Be a 'kid' for a little while longer, whilst I still had the chance to relish in however long I had left of my teenage years. Give me a few months, and I'd probably soon start feeling like I needed to celebrate my twenty-first birthday already. Maybe that would be a more 'appropriate' age to come back to all of this. That's if Jake was even prepared to wait for me. Who was to say that he wouldn't find someone else in the meantime?

No, that wasn't an option. Just the thought of him being with anyone else had me frowning possessively. _Maybe_ I should stop feeling sorry for myself and acting like a quitter. _Maybe_ I needed to 'woman-up' and fight for what _I_ wanted; and for what ultimately made perfect and absolute sense to me, not in a few months time, but right _now_. After all, from what I'd heard about my parent's relationship, it hadn't been all hearts and flowers for them either. ' _The course of true love never did run smooth…_ '

Closing my eyes, I found my calm centre with a simple breath, and relaxed my shoulders as I sat back again. To my own surprise, the next breath I exhaled carried an ironically lilted tune, which sounded completely alien and out of place against the rest of my thoughts. Apparently it's a good sign, when you can finally laugh about something, but I'm not sure if laughter based around nervousness counts towards that motto. I had however, now reached the solid conclusion that both Jake _and_ my dad were behaving like total idiots, but what _really_ bothered me was the reason – or _reasons_ – _why_ they were acting this way. I thought I knew everything I needed to know about my family, but it was becoming more and more apparent that the basis of everything I knew was built upon a foundation of secrets. In order to wipe the slate clean, I would first need to actually dirty it with the cold, hard truths. For now, I had three – no, _four_ facts to build on:

1\. Jake had once 'loved' my mom – she was his first love/crush, but she loved my dad 'more', which can only mean that she also loved Jake, just not 'enough'.

2\. Jake and my dad have fought before – probably too many times to count on one hand alone. For some reason though, my dad had been angry enough once to actually break Jacob's arm.

3\. Jake 'owes' my parents one last promise, which he 'can't' disclose, no matter how many he supposedly 'wants' to.

4\. For whatever reason, my dad is against me being anything more than 'like a little sister' to Jake.

Regardless of the previous points, I still want – no, I _need_ Jacob in my life. I also need to know that my whole family can accept the way that I feel, including my reluctant father. So that means sneaking around isn't going to be an option.

Pushing myself up using the tree trunk as a much needed crutch, I found the strengthening of my resolve, as I found myself on my feet again. I knew now what I had to do, in order to 'fix' the situation as a whole.

* * *

It was weird to actually feel nervous as I ran northeast towards my parent's cottage, but then again, I was about to engage in a confrontation that no 'ordinary' teenage girl should be facing right now. I guess it was just further proof towards the 'Nessie isn't normal' argument. Like I need any further proof of _that_ …

This was going to be only the second time so far, that I'd visited my parent's new cottage. Thankfully, I still remembered that it was just a little further east from the main family house. It was tempting actually to just run back to the rest of my family, and let Esme and Rosalie smother me with 'it's not your fault' hugs and a mug of hot chocolate. When the chocolate went cold though, and the hugs dried out, I'd just be right back at square one. So I kept heading eastwards, until the wood and white bricks of what I like to call a 'craftsman's cottage' came into view. The lights were on, which confirmed my suspicions about my parents also needing a little 'space' right now. I barely got within ten feet of the blue painted, oak door though, before it opened to reveal my mom in the doorway. Folding her arms against her torso, she only stepped out a few paces, and likewise, I slowed down to awkwardly stop outside of an arm's reach from her. I probably should have thought a lot more about what I was going to say on my journey here, because now that I was here, I was feeling a little lost for words.

"I know," my mom thankfully said, already understanding me like she'd somehow gained my dad's mind-reading tricks. I guess my awkwardness was written all over my brow, mirroring her own, uneasy expression right now. Like mother, like daughter. "Come inside," she beckoned. "We've… got a lot to talk about."

Cat still had my tongue, as I silently moved passed her to slip through the doorway. The layout of the cottage was similar to the old one, and from the small, main hallway, I could see the back of my dad's head in the lounge area, through the open doorway. Even though he already knew I was here – he'd probably heard my thoughts a few yards off; I still waited for my mom to lead the way. As soon as I entered the room, dad looked up from his seated position, and I froze near the doorway.

"Hi dad," I awkwardly greeted.

"Renesemee," he said in return, and managed to force a taut smile onto his pained features. I could see that he'd probably been torturing himself with a dozen thoughts ever since I'd turned my back on him, and I felt a stab of guilt just knowing that I was the one to weigh so heavily on his thick brow.

"Can't we just, skip to the part where everyone's happy again?" I tried to lighten the mood, and actually succeeded in bringing a little warmth to my dad's face. His amber eyes actually twinkled a little, and his smile relaxed as he expelled a genuinely amused breath.

"I'm afraid not."

With a sigh, I moved to sit down on the matching two-seater couch opposite him. That's when my mom moved to sit down beside my dad, and he instinctively reached for her supportive hand. An unwanted pang of envy stabbed through me, as my eyes flickered down to the gesture of their undying love. Why couldn't I have that?

Oh, right. Because the guy I'd fallen for didn't meet the approval of my dad.

"Can I start?" I butted in before my dad could beat me to it, and with an exchanged glance at my mom, he finally nodded back to me.

"Of course."

H'okay… here goes nothing. Licking my suddenly dry lips, I inhaled a deep breath, and leaned back a little, so I could cross my legs under me on the sofa. I needed to be as comfortable as possible right now.

"So erm…" Geez, this was difficult. I'd rather go college-level algebra right now, than have to sit here and talk about… stuff. "I think you, of all people dad, know how lately I've been… feeling a little… confused? About, how I feel, about… Jacob."

I paused there, purely because my mom's arched brows lifted, and because this whole conversation already felt like pulling teeth. Not that I know personally how that feels but, you know, figure of speech and all.

"Actually, no – not confused, just… overwhelmed? _Hormonal_?" Ugh, shaking my head, I frowned and tried to start over. "Anyway, that's a whole other conversation that I don't want to get into right now. What really bothers me, is why I get this feeling that, you've got some kind of, unresolved issues or… just some kinda, grudge against Jake. I mean, I know you have every right to be disappointed, with both of us, for getting arrested – and before you say that was Jake's fault, _no_ dad – I was to blame too."

"Ness –" He tried to cut in, but I shook my head and nipped that in the bud straight away.

"Hold on, let me finish. Let me just, get all this off my chest before I lose the nerve." He pursed his lips and gave a light nod, and so I heaved yet another shaky breath. "Both you, and Jake, are two of the most important people in my life, and it bugs me _so_ much that, I feel like… like I have to choose whose side to be on. I feel like, I can't even be around Jake right now without you listening in on us, and that, even when you do make up after all this, it'll only be a matter of time before we're right back here again."

Either I'd gotten braver with each word, or I was just reckless with abandon right now in a 'what else have you got to lose' sort of way. I guess that's what made me look at my mom next as I continued. "I know about… you and Jake." As expected, her jaw dropped in a look of absolute horror, and now it was dad's turn to squeeze her hand to stop her from literally jumping off the sofa.

" _What_!?" She part hissed and part growled, and I concluded that it was recklessness rather than bravery that was driving me right now. "Did Jake – _what_ did he tell you Ness?"

And now I'd gotten Jake into more trouble – nice going Ness!

"Just… _nothing_ , just that, he once thought he had, feelings for you? More than a friend but, that it was okay because, it was just a crush and, you always loved dad more." If memory served correctly, that was the gist of what he'd said, I think? Mom and dad exchanged frowning looks, so I decided it was best to leave out the part about my dad not being there for my mom at one point, according to Jake.

"Is… that why you hate him?" I tried to return back to the matter at question, rather than deviate any further into the past. "Because –"

" _Renesmee_ -" My dad cut in, firmly this time. My mom meanwhile, ran her clawed hand through her hair from the scalp, and heaved a frustrated breath of her own. Pausing mid-breath, I just snapped my mouth shut and resigned myself to listening. Clearly I'd done enough talking for the time being, and I could tell for one that my mom was pretty agitated right now. She was probably going to have 'words' with a Jake when she next got the chance.

"Hate is a very strong word to be using," my dad continued. "One that I can't say I've ever used when thinking about Jacob. I may have _disliked_ and, at a time, even distrusted him, but I can confidently say that _that_ particular feeling was entirely mutual between us. I truly believe that the only person who felt any kind of hatred, was Jacob."

Though his voice was firm, there was still an easy calmness about my dad, that actually made talking to him right now a lot easier. Still, it was surprising to hear the tables turned a little. Jake hated my dad? Well, he had just said he wanted to rip his head off…

"So… neither of you feel that way anymore?"

The right corner of his mouth turned upwards, and his brows gave a little shrug. "We still have our, let's say, _differences_ , but no Nessie, I don't dislike Jacob."

Ok… _phew_. I was also fairly certain that Jake didn't hate my dad – at least, not anymore, if that had even been the case before; so that was one of the five points on the list resolved, I think?

"I do however, dislike the situation."

 _Oh…_ "Well that makes two of us," I scoffed in return.

" _Four_ of us," my mom chipped in. I realised then that she was referring to both herself, and the absent Jake. "It's about time we had this conversation."

"Tell me about it," I conceded. There was something about the way my mom pursed her lips together though, that made me feel like I was yet to fully understand her statement.

"It's a conversation we've _wanted_ to have but –" Dad paused a second to glance at mom, who somewhat winced knowingly in return.

"Edward's of the opinion that we need to wait until you're 'old enough'," she finished the sentence for him. I could tell by the quirk of her brow that she didn't fully agree with his decision.

" _Old_ enough?" I echoed, and then huffed an ironic breath. " _Seriously_ dad? C'mon, I'm practically fully grown already, as far as hybrids go anyway. What more do you want?"

"I _hoped_ ," he stressed. "That maybe you'd at least finish high school or even college, before we had to sit down and have this conversation."

 _Oh geez_ … if I had to wait another year just to get some answers, I think I might end up biting someone out of frustration. The concept of waiting another three years on top of that, was like signing a death warrant and sending me to an early grave.

"Well, that's clearly _not_ an option anymore." I stated in my firmest and most un-negotiable voice.

"No," he softly sighed in return. "It's not."

I decided to go in for the kill. It was now, or never.

"Does any of this have to do with the secret Jake promised not to tell me about?" I took my mom's jaw-drop, and my dad's narrowing eyes, as a sign to continue. "I managed to catch up to him, a while ago. Actually, I asked him the same questions I'm asking you, more or less. Anyway, he couldn't tell me _why_ you broke his arm exactly –" I glared at my dad now. "Because apparently, it's got something to do with a big secret you made him promise _not_ to talk about."

My mom unleashed one of her trademark frustrated breaths. "I guess making him wait seven years to talk about it was asking too much," she muttered to my dad. I had to give a double take then, because if it hadn't been for two words that stuck out like a sore thumb in that whole sentence, I would have just let it slide.

"Wait – what do you mean, _seven years_?" Why were promises being made before I was even born?

"You said you've been feeling 'confused', of late," my dad cut in. His attempts to curb the situation worked somewhat, but I made sure my glare settle on my mom a beat longer, before returning my attention to him. Dad may have momentarily derailed my question, but I wasn't about to completely forget about it.

"Confused, overwhelmed, excited… I guess you could say I've been feeling a lot lately."

"About Jacob," my dad surprising cut to the pint in the most blatant and rhetorically factual way possible. It was more than just a little bit disarming, but after blinking a few times, I managed to force a response through my gaping expression.

"Y-Yeah, about Jacob…" I shouldn't have been so surprised that he knew that really. After all, he could read minds.

"I know how it feels, to have someone or something standing in the way of something you want. I'm not about to do that to my own daughter. Not after I already tried it once or twice, only to inevitably fail in my futile attempts."

I figured he was talking about the fact that he'd whisked me away for Norway a few months ago, separating me from Jacob for the first time ever.

"But," he continued, and my heart cynically sank a little bit. "I'm not prepared to sit back and watch you get hurt either, or hurt yourself. What we're about to tell you, might not be easy to understand, but I hope you can come to realise that we only kept it a secret in order to protect you."

 _From what?_ My dancing eyes were demanding, already jumping one step ahead to question time, before I even knew what this big secret was exactly.

"And afterwards, if you still want me to give you my blessing to pursue whatever your feelings for Jacob might be, then I need you to promise me one thing."

What did he mean by ' _still_ '? Why wouldn't I still want my dad's blessing? What could he possibly tell me that could change that?

" _I'm not always the good guy,"_ I heard Jake's voice echo in my head, from earlier. What the hell had he done, seven years ago!?

"That you won't get carried away," my dad continued. "Or rush into anything." He paused a moment, to let those words sink in. It was hard for me to focus on the exact meaning of his words though, when I had so many other anxieties clogging up my skull. Wait – was he pretty much telling me to keep my knees pressed together? _Oh god_ … please let us _not_ be having _that_ conversation right now!

"I know you _think_ that you're an adult now, but even a hundred-year Vampires can still make mistakes."

That's my dad for you – always full of wisdom and often straight to the point. If this was mom, she'd be bumbling and stumbling and stammering for another half hour, but not my dad. As far as promises went though, he wasn't really asking for much. I'm pretty sure this is the one thing that any parent would ask of their child, and hybrid or no, I wasn't an exception to this rule. Still, I wasn't about to ignore an opportunity to strike a deal of my own here.

"If I say yes, then will you promise me one thing in return too?"

"That would only be fair," he lightly smiled.

"I want you to stay out of my head," his eyes narrowed, but not because he was opposed to the idea. "And Jake's too. If that means mom has to shield us both whenever she can, then fine. At least we'll all be clear on that from now on."

"Trust me, I don't enjoy or want to always hear whatever's going on in your heads." My dad gentle chuckled, and my mom cast him one of her sympathetic looks. He looked to her then, for the shared approval of her silent nod, and then, he looked to me. "I think that can be arranged."

"Good," I concurred. "Then I promise I'll… be sensible. Take it easy and… stuff." … _Awkward..._

With another taut smile – because I doubt my dad was finding this easy either – he gave a nod.

"As for the secret itself, I think it would be best if Jacob told you that himself."

 _Huh?_

"He's almost outside…"

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 16: "?"_


	16. Chapter 16: Where we go from here

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 'Twilight' series or any of the respective characters created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer. This is merely a work of fanfiction written by a devoted fan, who can't get enough of vampires and wolves and hopeless romance._

 _ **A.N**_ _. So in my hasty last update, I forgot to thank everyone who's recently left a review, favorited or followed the story. It was actually really encouraging to check back and realise that I was (unintentionally) keeping people hanging with Chapter 15. So getting this chapter out today is my thank you to all of you for giving me that nudge to continue. I can't promise that I'll have chapter 17 up quite so quickly, but fingers crossed for the end of the week._

 _In light of Edward being old-fashioned about the 'V' card though, it's one of the things I always liked about his character. Let's not forget that he refused to 'go all the way' with Bella until he properly 'courted' her and put a ring on her finger :P Whilst I respect that some people don't like that, it's one of the things I find endearing about him. Besides, depending on how you've been raised/your own values/religion etc, it's not all that outlandish or outdated to hold onto your virginity. I'm not saying Nessie follows/will follow that exact way of thinking, but for Edward, I think it's an appropriate point of view. He is talking about his daughter, after all._

 _I just wanted to add my two cents, mostly because I find characterisation particularly interesting. I come from a theatrical background, so I love to delve into this kinda stuff. Everyone is entitled to their opinions though, at the end of the day._

 _So without further ado..._

* * *

 **Chapter 16: "Where we go from here"**

Normally, the prospect of Jake arriving outside would have had me literally leaping off the chair and rushing to meet him. After the way that we'd left things a while ago though, combined with the conversation I'd just had with my old-fashioned father, which Jake and his super-hearing had no doubt heard a mile off; I was a little more hesitant to greet him than usual.

" _Did he hear everything?"_ I silently asked my dad, but his oblivious ignorance to my thoughtful question confirmed only one thing: True to my parent's word, I was now being shielded. _Ugh_ , I could already see that there was going to be a downside to this whole 'privacy' deal. Guess I can't have my cake _and_ eat it.

"He's here to apologise," my dad continued to explain. "He wants to set things right."

With that said, he rose up from the sofa, followed by my lightly frowning mom. I guess that was a sign that Jake was more or less near the front door already, so I gingerly followed after my parents. As much as I still wanted to know what this whole 'big secret' deal was; I was also suddenly feeling nervous about the whole thing. My overactive mind was already trying to prepare me for the discovery of something harrowing or potentially even traumatic. Just what exactly had Jake done, seven years ago? Then again, the fact that he'd said he _wanted_ to tell me, was surely proof that it couldn't be all _that_ bad?

Whatever it was, I guess I was about to find out.

He stood on the pathway to the house, about ten feet away, with his hands in the side pockets of his jeans. As soon as my dad stepped out, the stare-off commenced from one, moody brow to the other. I heard my mom inhale a very human, shaky breath, as she found and clasped my dad's hand in hers. For now, I moved to stand on the other side of my dad, feeling like some kind of traitor all of a sudden. After all, I'd declared myself to have been on Jake's side, and yet, here I was, standing next to my dad. The way that Jake's dark eyes flickered to me momentarily, didn't help to ease my turncoat sentiments either. _I'm still on your side,_ I tried to will him to understand through eye contact alone. As always, the way that he studied me in silence was disarming, and I found myself mimicking my mom's shaky breath, as I tried to steady my own anxieties.

"You heard our conversation," my dad stated in a rhetorical question that had Jake simply nodding in return, at first.

"Yeah, I heard." He said, pointedly. His jaw tensed a moment, and I was still left wondering just how much of the conversation he'd picked up on.

"Then you understand that if Renesmee wills it, we'll call a truce to _everything_ that's happened."

Why was I the one who had to 'will' anything? And _geez_ , could my dad be any more ridiculously old-fashioned right now? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my history, but the stuffiness was just making me feel awkward. I figured that Jake was thinking the same thing, as he quirked his brow for a moment.

" _Fine_ ," he eventually very curtly agreed. I couldn't quite tell if he was still just as agitated as before, or if the developed situation was now mostly to blame for his sour-face. Either way, I felt the sudden need to hug my arms against my torso.

"Then it's settled," came my dad's finality. His lack of affection as he simply turned to move back into the house, made me realise that he was probably still agitated about the whole situation too. Before I could frown at his back for longer than a beat though, my mom placed both her hands on my arms.

"We'll be here if you need to talk later," came her caring reassurance. "About anything." On the contrary though, I didn't exactly feel reassured.

"Ok," I managed a semblance of a grateful smile. "Thanks mom."

After a quick glance back at Jacob over her shoulder, my mom followed after my dad, and the front door was shut behind her.

Finally, it was just me, and him.

"You wanna get out of here?" He wasted no time in breaking the silence that stretched out between us, and I expelled a somewhat relieved breath.

" _Yeah_." Did I ever! Preferably somewhere where no one else could eavesdrop on us? Privacy really was like gold dust when it came to my family.

He waited until I finished my approach, before he turned and instigated a light jog back out towards the treeline. I followed only one pace behind him, trying not to let the silence bother me as we left the cottage behind us and moved further eastwards. When the hilly landscape dipped down into the Shaver's Fork River, Jake finally slowed down into a careful walk down the landslide of stone and pebble scattered earth. The rush of river water was somewhat soothing, and definitely welcome as a replacement to the constant pound of our feet against the ground. It felt good to run, but I also had to remind myself that neither of us were running away from the situation ahead. A fact that became clearer to me now, as Jake stopped completely by the edge of the river, and placed his hands on his hips.

Without a word, I stepped beside him, and paused to catch my breath. I'd read that the freshwater river was great for fishing, and that there were even rapids and waterfalls at some points. This portion however, was serene and gentle, and from the look of it, relatively shallow. All in all, it was a welcome change of pace from everything that had happened in the space of an hour or so. We Vampires are strange creatures. We have eternity to enjoy 'life', and for the most part, we take our days as they come. I've noticed however, that we're also quick to react to change, and that's when time seems to pass us by so quickly, because we in turn are suddenly moving and thinking so fast. I felt like half my dad had been wasted already, but in reality, it was still only Saturday afternoon. We still had the rest of the day ahead of us.

"Much better," Jake commented, acquiring a curious 'hm?' from me in return. "I can actually hear myself think now," he added.

 _Oh._ He basically just reminded me that likewise, he'd only just arrived an hour or so ago. "Mm… this hasn't exactly been the homecoming I imagined," I shared my thoughts out loud.

"Tell me about it," he concurred. "Trust your dad to make an epic drama out of everything. Couldn't just let me tell you in my own time or anything like that."

I guess part the reason why Jake wanted us out of earshot, was so he could be as honest as he wanted about my parents without the repercussions. It was fair enough, and I couldn't exactly argue with him either.

"He does… have a way with words," I offered in kinder agreement.

"Well, no backing out now." He sighed. Pursing my lips, I watched in anticipated silence, as he slowly stepped to face me at a slight diagonal towards the river.

"H'ok," he sighed again, confirming that he was struggling with words. "Where to even start."

I wanted to tell him to take his time, but that was also precisely what I _didn't_ want right now. I wanted him to shoot me relentlessly with the bare-faced facts, and just get all these dark family secrets out in the open finally.

With a glance down into the space between us, Jake finally levelled his gaze on my own. "Ok. What you first need to understand is – what happened, almost seven years ago, it's… a wolf thing."

"A _wolf_ thing?" I echoed in his brief pause, already trying to impatiently piece together where he might be going with this. I wasn't expecting him to start with something like that though.

"Yeah, it's something we… don't exactly have any control of – at least, not _consciously_. It just, _happens_ , to all of us, eventually."

 _Ok…_ "To… all _wolves,_ you mean?"

"Right," he swallowed. "Sam, Paul, Jared, _Quil_ … it's happened to all of them."

I bit my lip, already trying to figure out the connection between those four names. For now though, other than them being Quileute Wolves, I was drawing a blank.

"We call it 'imprinting,'" he continued. "And… pretty much out of nowhere, it happened to me too."

My brows naturally furrowed and knotted at the unfamiliar word. " _Imprinting_?" Once I knew the definition, I'd be able to tackle my other concern – how exactly it related to Jake.

"I guess, you could say it's like fate – or how we find our soulmate. If you believe in that kinda stuff…"

I blinked a few times, already trying my best to process this. My entire family were proof that soulmates _do_ exist, but to some, it was probably still a matter of perspective... 'Some' people, in this case, being Jake.

"Do _you_?" _Believe in fate? In soulmates?_

"I do now," he confirmed. "I believe it, because I've felt it."

I wasn't sure what _I_ was feeling right now though. Envy, maybe? All I could do, was frown severely as I listened in attentive silence.

"You see her for the first time and, it's like… gravity shifts, and… nothing else matters, except _her_. In that moment, you know that you'd unconditionally do _anything_ to keep her safe. That you'll become whatever she _needs_ you to be: A friend, a brother, a _protector_."

My eyes danced left and right at his more detailed explanation, and it felt like he'd just reached into my chest and squeezed my heart with his bare fist. Not just that but it left me with laboured breath that was heavier and shaky. "That… sounds pretty intense Jake."

He expelled his own, uneven and shaky breath. "You have no idea."

The hopeful idealist and romantic in me wanted to so badly believe that _I_ was the one he'd 'imprinted' on, but my more cynical and logical brain was too busy trying to dissect each and every fact down to the last t. In the back of my mind, I was already starting to fear that there was someone else in the equation.

"So, are you saying – " One fact screamed at me more painfully and bitterly than the others, and even though I dreaded the answer, I still had to know the truth. "– You said it happened, _almost_ seven years ago. So was it… before, or _after_ , I was born?"

"After," he admitted, squeezing my heart a little more. "I mean, _consciously_? After, but in hindsight, when everything finally made sense to me and fell into place, I realised that, sub-consciously? It had been waiting to happen all along."

Wait, _what_? Now I was just confused.

"It was _you_ , Ness."

O- _Oh_ – wait, _me_!? Did, he just say –

"The first time I saw you, I… imprinted, on _you_."

My jaw quite literally dropped as my eyes frantically studied him, still cynically waiting for there to be a 'but' to ruin the moment. I mean… Holy hell! What exactly was imprinting again? He was… basically saying that… we were _soulmates_? It's not every day you hear a guy tell you _that_.

" _Me_?" I needed to hear it again, just to be double, no – _triple_ certain. To leave no further shred of a doubt.

"Yes," he tautly smiled. His dark eyes searched mine, and I felt myself burning up under his scrutiny. "It's you, Ness. It's always been you, I just didn't know it until I saw you."

"O-Okay," I just about managed to breathe the unsteady but altogether calm word, whilst I still tried to grasp the full meaning of all this. Even if I wanted to move right now, I couldn't. I was frozen in place by this incredible revelation. "But, wait – hold on a second, the first time you _saw_ me?" I shook my head, because suddenly the entire equation didn't quite add up. Suddenly it wasn't all hearts and flowers and cupids. "But… I was just a _baby_!"

"I know…"

"Is that… how this whole thing works? Is that even _normal_?" Did this mean that he was doomed to forever remain a friend, brother and protector to me? Nothing _more_? But, he'd mentioned Sam, which surely meant that, Emily was his imprintee? But, weren't they around the same age?

"It's not exactly common but, we don't exactly have a choice either." That wasn't exactly the answer I wanted to hear though, and he knew it straight away. " _Shit_ , no, that sounded awful. Let me re-phrase."

I huffed an incredulous breath before he could even attempt to. "You make it sound like you're some kind of, mindless and unwilling slave or something."

"N-No, it's nothing like that. It's more like… Just, try to imagine meeting the person you're _supposed_ to be with, but for whatever reason they just, pass you by. They slip through your fingers one day, and that's that. Well the imprint prevents that from ever happening. It creates this… _bond_ , and… you just, know. This is the person who matters most of all. This is the person you need to keep hold of, and never let go."

"Sounds pretty stalker-ish Jake," I lightly smirked. I know, I'm a horrible person for using humour to deflect the fact that he was making my heart beat about a dozen times more than it usually did. Besides, it was pretty entertaining watching him getting all flustered trying to explain things to me on a deeper level. I already got the gist of what he was trying to say, but that didn't stop me from probing him more. It was comforting to see him struggling a bit, because behind my cool façade, I was trembling.

"It's not _like_ that," he stressed again. "I meant, it just bypasses the whole, selective process? You don't _need_ to look for anyone else, because you've found her. When you imprint, you just _know_ that this is the one person you're meant to be with."

"Forever and ever?" I semi-mocked, but he shot me another serious look. Doing my best to control my playful smirk, I focused on asking a more serious question. "So…does the other person – the imprint _ee_? Do _they_ have a choice in all this?"

"Yeah," he lightly frowned. "I guess it's like a one-way bond but, I've never heard of the imprint ever being rejected, by either of the two concerned."

"Because then you wouldn't be soulmates…" I murmured, mostly confirming to myself rather than making a statement for his sake. _H'oh boy_ , this was a lot to take in. Should I be worried that I was yet to be scared off by any of this? I mean, he was basically a few inches short of confessing his profound and undying love to me. That would be a little bit too much right now, but it still filled me with butterflies to know that he at least felt _something_ for me that wasn't necessarily platonic? All this time, I'd been worried that my feelings weren't mutual, and all this time, he'd known that we were 'fated' to each other. That's amazing and daunting all at the same time. Part of me wanted to be ecstatically happy right now, but on a more cynical note, I struggled to accept that we were more or less destined to be together.

"If it helps," Jake carefully continued. "Quil had a similar experience, when he imprinted on Claire."

Wait, _what_!? … "Claire _Young_?"

"Yup, when she was only three." _Wow_. "But you've seen how he is around her. He's like, the best big brother anyone could ever ask for. Right now, that's all that matters to him."

Jake was right about that, but this was all still a lot to process in one fell swoop. At least I finally had the answer to one burning question though. "So, this is why my dad resented you, and broke your arm? Because you 'imprinted' on me?"

Just when I thought he might finally nod along and agree and let this whole thing be resolved once and for all, he instead sheepishly looked down and tensed his jaw. That's how I knew, this story wasn't over yet.

"Jake?"

He turned to look to the side, almost sheepish. "Mostly, but… it was a little bit more complicated than that."

"What could possibly be more complicated than _that_?" I scoffed with a frown.

He dragged his palm down his face, and then moved it across to rub the back of his neck as he hesitated to explain. For a second, I thought he was actually going to chicken out entirely, and even though the change in overall tone of the conversation was actually starting to freak me out, I still pushed him to continue.

" _Jacob_ …"

He finally huffed a conceding breath. "Look, I was in a really, _really_ bad place. For one, I thought that Bella was dead – _murdered_ even, and Sam and the others – well, the treaty was broken, so they were coming to finish the job on everyone else. Edward was still trying to save Bella, but I already had it my head that I needed to somehow revenge her."

My brows lifted, still unsure where he was going with this exactly. What did avenging my mom have to do with imprinting on _me_?

"So when Edward realised I'd imprinted, on you… yeah, he was furious. He'd barely even held you, and there I was, staking some kind of, protective claim over you. But what _really_ tipped him over the edge, was what happened _before_ I imprinted." Just when he had me hanging on his every word, he broke the flow to sigh wearily again. "H'oh boy…"

"Jake. _Tell_ me. _What_ did you do?"

"Look, Ness, there's no easier way to say it, but I owe you the complete truth so… I'll just say it anyway." Good because I was _seriously_ losing my patience with him now. "But you have to understand; I'd _literally_ just seen my best friend die, and in a stupid-ass reaction, I wanted to… get rid of, the _one_ thing that I _thought_ was responsible for that. I –"

 _Oh god…_

"Me," I cut in, thought my voice was dangerously quiet. He heard me anyway. "It was me, wasn't it? You… wanted to… _kill_ me?"

"But I wouldn't have!" He quickly defended, taking an urgent step closer. "I _couldn't_ have done it. Imprint or no, I wasn't _actually_ going to kill a _baby_!"

"But you _thought_ about it!" I corrected, taking a much needed step back. This was, pretty dark, and coming from the person who'd read a _lot_ of gothic novels in her time, that was pretty rich. "You thought I was… a _monster_? Some kind of _murderer_? You think I actually _wanted_ to hurt my mom!?"

"Of course not! Ness, _please_ , I was in a bad place, okay?" He tried to step in again, but I immediately repelled myself away with his every attempt. "After everything that had happened, I was fucked up!"

"Yeah that's fucked up!" I echoed, raising my voice over his. I understood now, why Jake said he wasn't always the 'good guy', and why my dad had reacted the way he did. I understood _perfectly_.

"Ness," he tried to soothe in a calmer voice than I was capable of right now. Although he'd given up on trying to close in on me, that didn't stop him from trying to reach out with his voice. " _Please_ , don't let what happened _years_ ago come between us now."

I couldn't look at him right now though, so I opted to tilt my head to glare down at the river instead. Like a protective barrier, I folded my arms tightly against my torso, and felt my nostrils flare as I held my breath. It seemed impossible, implausible even, that he could even think to do such a thing. But he'd been in a bad place, and apparently, people think stupid things when faced with trauma.

I heard him shuffle against the pebbled earth, but he was too cautious to reach out to me with anything but his pleading words.

"If… you need some space, _fine_. I'll… stay away for a while. If that's what you need." I heard him pause to swallow before he inevitably continued. "I'll do whatever you want but, I can't… if you _hate_ me, I can't… I don't know how I'll – I –"

… _Enough._

He'd said enough, and I'd heard just about enough too. I didn't even think about how a 'normal' person might react to this revelation, because I think we've established by now that I'm not just any 'normal' person. So rather than shun Jake, I suddenly grabbed hold of his shirt, so I could tug him towards me as I in turn stepped in. Not giving him a choice in the matter, I lifted one arm securely over his shoulder, so I could continue to pull him against me in a tight embrace. His heartbeat was thundering away, but as I lifted my hand up from his shirt to rest on his alternate shoulder, he finally wrapped his arms around me. As he lowered his head to rest his cheek against my crown, I both heard and felt him heave a heavy breath, and then purposefully seem to inhale deeply enough to breathe me in entirely.

 _This_ was what I needed right now. A reminder of how selfless and loving and protective he'd been, for as long as I could remember, because _that_ ultimately outweighed his momentary slip-up by a long shot. _This_ was the Jacob I knew. I could hardly judge him cruelly and shun him for a moment of emotionally-heightened madness, when for every second of every minute of every hour that he'd spent with me ever since that day, he'd been nothing but kind and patient with me. I'm not saying that I was going to completely forget about what he'd wanted to do, almost seven years ago, but I was at least, already trying to forgive him for it. The 'forget' part… well, I'd just have to work on that. My mom had forgiven me for causing her pain though, so I guess this was just a test of the same, unconditional love she'd shown towards me.

Without a shred of a doubt, I knew now that I was more than capable of feeling and showing that same, unconditional love towards Jake.

"I don't _hate_ you," I finally stated. I remembered my dad saying that 'hate is a very strong word', and realised one other thing. "I don't think I _could_ ever hate you. In fact, I don't even think I _dislike_ you right now. Not one bit. Maybe I should, but I don't."

I felt his arm tighten around my waist as he breathed me in again, and for a moment, I just closed my eyes and let relief was over us both. By far, this was probably the most intense conversation I was ever going to have, and even though it was far from over, I could already feel the tension between us lifting.

"I would _never_ hurt you Ness," he reiterated. "With, or without the imprint."

"I know." I believed him, irrevocably, but there was one thing that played on my mind. An insecurity, that had me lifting my head and rising up on my toes, so I could tenderly claim his lips against my own. After all, if it wasn't for the imprint, would we even be here, right now? I hated the thought that anything could tear a rift between us, but I also wasn't exactly sure how I felt about him not having a choice in the matter. I hated the thought of him being submissively bound to my every whim, even though honestly? The need to make each other happy was pretty much mutual, and that was good thing, right?

Trying to focus on enjoying the sensation of my lips against his, the kiss was tender and drawn out. A result of perhaps both our insecurities right now? I felt one of his palms lift up to press against the middle of my spine, and even as our lips momentarily parted to feel each other's reverberating breath instead, I slowly reclaimed his upper lip between mine before my eyes opened to gaze into his.

"I'd never hurt you either," I gently reciprocated.

"I knew you would understand," came another one of his heavy albeit relieved sighs. Even I could feel the metaphorical weight lifting off him now. How the hell had he carried such a burdensome secret with him, all this time?

"Well I _am_ your soulmate," I scoffed. All light-hearted joking aside though, the very admission of the word made my cheeks burn a little. _Soulmate_ … Yeah, that was going to take some getting used to. We'd only just had our first kiss for crying out loud! Contrary to my words, I pulled back slightly. The intensity of all this demanded a little bit of space, and I was glad that Jake responded by loosening his grip on me slightly.

"I can't believe you've kept all this a secret until now," I shared my thoughts out loud. "If it wasn't for my dad –"

"It's not something I would've just thrown at you," he interrupted. "I mean, I _wanted_ to tell you, for a while now actually, but –"

"How long, Jake?" My turn to interrupt. "How long have you wanted to tell me?"

"Honestly? Only since a few months ago, maybe." His hands shifted to claim my waist, shooting sparks down my sides and managing to support me all at once. "But _definitely_ after you came back from Norway. Still can't believe Edward just, took you away like that."

Now I really did feel my cheeks burn a little. "Well, he realised I wasn't thinking of you like a brother anymore," I shamelessly admitted. "I guess it was a bit of a rude awakening for him." Then regretted going that far with it as soon as Jake's brows curiously quirked. "Never mind," I quickly shot down any further questioning. Oh god, I can't believe I'd just admitted that out loud!

"Probably around the same time I was trying hard _not_ to be like a brother to you," he added. I gave a sheepish smile in return. Trying to label our relationship was like trying to add another letter to the alphabet or something. There was just no clear classification. We just… were, what we were.

"I thought I was going crazy," I laughed. "I mean, this one time, in Oslo? I thought I actually saw you, in the crowd."

I expected him to laugh along with me, so when he pulled more of a winced expression, I frowned questioningly in return.

"Yeeeah, about that…" He trailed off.

"That was _you_?"

"Yeah…"

 _Oh geez… seriously!?_

"Jake, you're _really_ not helping with the whole, stalker theory." Thankfully, he finally breathed a chortle at my more light-hearted jab.

"It's a wolf thing," he practically shrugged. I had the feeling that from now on, I was going to be hearing that excuse a lot. "When you're not around, it literally hurts. Like, actually painful."

My jaw dropped all over again. Could his level of adoration and commitment be any more intense right now? "Where you go, I go." I echoed the words he'd spoken to me about a dozen times before, and he slowly smiled.

"Exactly."

Lowering my gaze to where my palms now rested against his chest, I watched as it slowly expanded with each of his careful and easier breaths.

"It's why the pack were okay with me leaving," he added. "Sam, Paul, Jared and Quil… they of all people know it's impossible to be separated from your imprintee. Respecting the bond is like, our upmost law."

I guess that answered my question about whether the pack knew about all of this. "How did _they_ manage to keep it secret?"

All the time I'd spent baking with Emily, and she'd never told me about her special 'wolf-thing' bond with Sam! Come to think of it, she had said something about 'finding her soulmate' at her wedding but, I always thought she'd just been caught up in the romance of the moment. I didn't think she meant it literally.

"I uh… kinda put an injunction on them." Oh wow. The one thing he swore he'd never do? "And Sam did too," he added. "I had to… the amount of times Seth wanted to run his mouth off about the whole thing."

 _That_ I could believe.

"You know he was even thinking it on our last evening on First Beach? He would've just blurted it out right there and then, if he could have."

"Poor Seth," I couldn't help but laugh. The younger Clearwater sibling wasn't exactly renowned for his ability to keep secrets. "I guess now the secrets out, it'll be easier for everyone."

"I hope so," he sighed. Why did his voice still sound heavy in that respect?

"Unless, you need to tell me about some other time you tried to kill me?" He closed his eyes and winced ruefully at my attempt at a joke. "Sorry. Too soon?"

"I'm never gonna be able to joke about that."

I tried to laugh it off, and inevitably blurted out another attempt at a joke. "Well, I can be a little monster sometimes." I was still the only person smiling though. "Sorry…"

"No," he sighed. "I guess I deserve it."

He deserved a lot of things, but my endless teasing in respect of that horrible moment in history, wasn't one of them. Lifting my hand to rest on his cheek, I let my words carry directly from my mind to his. _"What you deserve, is a chance to move past all of that."_

At long last, a warmer smile teased at the corners of his mouth. Moving one hand from my waist, he lifted it to rest his palm over my hand as he nuzzled his face against my palm until his lips pressed against it instead. Stunned for a moment by such simple intimacy, I finally dragged my front teeth against my lower lip in a pinching motion, to pull me out of my love-drunk stupor.

"Can we just, go back to racing each other, and hunting competitions, and generally just not thinking about any of this?" I asked out loud, as I dropped my hand from his face. He kept hold of that hand in his though, intertwining our fingers as they dropped to our side.

"If that's what you want," he offered. _Ugh,_ submissive Jacob? That's one thing I _didn't_ want.

"I want to hear what _you_ want," I countered, squeezing his hand a little.

He looked down at our joint hands a moment, taking stock of how serious I was right now, before he dared to level my eyes on mine. A lop-sided smirk played on the right corner of his lips, giving him a mischievous quality before he finally put me put of my misery.

"What I want, more than anything…" I practically held my breath as he paused a moment, to reach up and tuck strands of amber behind my ear. "Is to know that you're okay with all of this."

I licked my lips, and then bit the moistened lower lip. "I am," I semi-lied. One look at him though, confirmed that I was done lying to him. "I mean, I will be. Just, give me some time to get my head around it?"

"That's more than what I could ask for," he breathed. I felt it again, that lump in my throat that stifled my next breath. Please Jake, stop being so understanding! It's suffocating but, strangely not necessarily in a bad way? Ugh, I think I'm going crazy or something.

"I just want us to keep going forward, from here." He added, gently. "We can't exactly go back to the way we were but, after everything that's happened? I guess that's a good thing."

It wasn't a bad thing either, if it meant more of moments like _this_ in the nearby future. That was something I could _definitely_ look forward to.

"Good." I just about managed to utter. "Then that's what we'll do." Swallowing back against that lump in my throat, I breathed a deep breath, and managed to calmer yet determined smile. "No more looking back."

* * *

 _To be continued in Chapter 17: "?"_


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